Pot tea

So, here's a site with some recipes:

http://leda.lycaeum.org/Preparations/Bhang.4770.shtml

We're going to get to the bottom of this.

and....

pot + meditation = good

pot + sparring = ouch

-FJ

u know… for entertainment purposes only… of course ;) ...

Yes of course, all discussion here is purely theoretical in nature and shall only be used at such a time as...

-FJ

If one meditates properly, the need for external stimulus is nullified.

The use of substances derived from cannabis as medicine is not a bad thing in itself but using for the sake of enhancing the meditative experience is counter productive in my opinion.

The drug clouds the experience and detracts from the purpose of meditation in context to martial arts or in context to the healthful aspects of meditation.

Cannabis is useful is areas such as glaucoma as it increase blood flow to the ocular area. It is also useful in subjects who are on chemotherapy as an aid to combat the nausea associated with the heavy drugs that are pumped into the person receiving the therapy.

By itself as a recreational drug, it is much safer than alcohol. But will it enhance your martial ability? I can safely answer that with a resounding NO! It brings nothing to martial practice or the supplemental practices associated with martial arts such as meditation.

If you need drugs to calm your mind, you are performing the exercises improperly to begin with.

peace

too bad it requires so much canabis... 1 ounce $$$

Right idea - Kung Lek

Nicely said Kung Lek.

I disagree. Some people in India use psychoactive substances to assist with meditation. Really, all over the world and throughout history, many have used these natural substances as an aid to meditation and spirituality.

For me, I am able to successfully meditate, without herbal stimulus. With herbal stimulus, it changes the nature of the meditation. Not necessarily better, but different, and something I've found useful. I'd venture to say, if you don't think this herb is an aid to meditation, then, you're not doing it right, or else the effect is different for you than it is for me.
Remember, I never stated you NEED to use this herb to meditate. If I had, then that in fact would have shown that I was "doing it wrong".

You say the drug "clouds the experience." For you, maybe. For me, it can provide clarity to the experience. It may increase the sense of connectedness I feel. It may inspire me to extend my awareness within my body without fear. Hey, it even helps me get rid of extraneous thoughts. Some may experience the opposite effect. LOL.

Plenty of herb users know how to meditate properly.

-FJ

that recipe is way too labor intensive, even for casual potheads like myself.

Much rather grind it in a coffee grinder and make a Timothy Leary biscuit (Ritz crackers, cheese, your favorite plant), or add it to the ubiquitous brownies...

or just roll a J and watch the stars come out...in broad daylight :D

"For me, "

This is a VERY key phrase. Never recommend someone to try something that works for you that MAY be : illegal, harmful, beneficial under exact circumstances, etc... Personal choice never extends beyond the person. The same should apply to such approaches.


"I'd venture to say, if you don't think this herb is an aid to meditation, then, you're not doing it right, or else the effect is different for you than it is for me. "

Dangerous assumption about others abilities. Ask any Chinese scholar about things like Opium (also used for meditation) and its effect on people and a country.

Also, the reverse can be said by many more people : "I'd venture to say that if you need to use an herb to aid meditation, you're not doing it right"

In fact, every teacher I have dealt with from Indian Gurus to Chinese Qi Gong and Martial Arts masters have emphasized avoiding drugs and alcohol. Guru Baba Ramdas has stated similar things.

Drugs used for spiritual things and expansion of conciousness have their place but are almost always seen as shortcuts that need to be abandoned after a point...and as dangerous tempting shortcuts that can lead many away from their path to enlightenment. The key here is, again, personal things should be personal.


"Remember, I never stated you NEED to use this herb to meditate. If I had, then that in fact would have shown that I was "doing it wrong". "

But you did say that if you did NOT find it an aid, you were doing it wrong. Absolutes are dangerous and more often than not, wrong.

"You say the drug "clouds the experience." For you, maybe. For me, it can provide clarity to the experience. "

This is a common statement. However, it can also be that the drug presents an illusion of clarity and in reality is truly clouding the mind. In certain stages, a drug may indeed provide clarity. In advanced stages, the drug is a distraction or worse yet, a detour that prevents growth.


"It may increase the sense of connectedness I feel. It may inspire me to extend my awareness within my body without fear. Hey, it even helps me get rid of extraneous thoughts. Some may experience the opposite effect. LOL. "

Some people have trouble with any thoughts in this state. I doubt that this would be classified as achieving no thought... However, if you truly need the drug to remove the fear, then perhaps working on easing up and dealing with - then passing through the fear is a way to go. Again, absolutes or a single path, this is not...but the drug assisted path is one that can lead astray.

"Plenty of herb users know how to meditate properly. "

And many do not....In fact, I would venture a guess that those who do are far outnumbered by those who don't.

Having done my fair share of both sides...personal choices should remain personal.

If someone is reading KFO, sees my post entitled "pot tea," opens it, finds the phrase "pot + meditation = good", takes that as a recommendation, and does harm to themself, or falls in trouble with the law, then, this is my fault? I guess I shouldn't have submitted this mathematically exact expression. LOL.

"But you did say that if you did NOT find it an aid, you were doing it wrong. Absolutes are dangerous and more often than not, wrong. "

Yes, if you do something to aid yourself, and it doesn't work, where it has worked for another, then you are either doing it wrong, or it doesn't have the same effect on you that it has on the other person. This is just logic. I made the statement with the necessary qualifier, "or it doesn't have the same effect on you." You removed my qualifier, re-cast my statement as an absolute, then proceeded to criticize the absoluteness of the statement. I have a question for you: what are you smoking???


"However, it can also be that the drug presents an illusion of clarity and in reality is truly clouding the mind. In certain stages, a drug may indeed provide clarity. In advanced stages, the drug is a distraction or worse yet, a detour that prevents growth. "

Well, if you are using the herb to the stage where "a drug may indeed provide clarity," then, you are doing it right. If you use it to "advanced stages, the drug is a distraction or worse yet, a detour that prevents growth, " then, you are doing it wrong.


I know we have pretty free speech on the forum, but, can we please get back to the subject, which is pot tea? Thank you.

-FJ

I stand corrected. The proper mathematical expression is:

pot + meditation <= good


Hope that clears things up. :)


-FJ

Don't fool yourself. You are not fully meditating if you are using external substances. Your spirit is meditating, but you infact are "high" "stoned" or whatever phrase you like to use. You may try and convince yourself that not to be the case, but can you be so sure that the reason you are trying to convince yourself of such has nothing to do with your 'want or need' to use external substances in the first place.

The process of Meditation can be thought of us a chain made up of individual links. If you meditate on a daily basis, you are adding links to that chain each day. When your links are clear and strong, clean of rust and external substance then you build a strong chain. If you can only build your links by using Elmers Glue however, you will have a problem if your chain ever get's tugged on. The greater tugging and stress that your chain can bear, the greater satisfaction and power it can manifest. That is clear, as you could easily draw that connection if you looked at the use of actual "chain" in real life.

These practices are personal to us as individuals and we all take steps on our own. We all make the final decissions for ourselves and design our realities through such.

Enjoy yours.

- Nexus

OK...to get back to the point of this discussion...

Pot Tea...

Well, I am sorry, it has no bearing to Martial Arts and this is not an alternative forum...so ...

Now, how does this idea fit in with the New Age folks that so many complain inhabit the halls of Chinese Martial Arts?
:)

Quote:

---

Originally posted by GLW

Now, how does this idea fit in with the New Age folks that so many complain inhabit the halls of Chinese Martial Arts?
:)

---

$hit, I don't know. I just got done hittin' the bowl myself. Would you consider my views "New Age"?

Nexus - you may be fooling yourself. Because you presume to know whether or not I am "fully meditating" from a distance. I have been using the herb far longer than I have been actively meditating, so no, even in my apparently distorted mind I don't single out meditation as a justification for herb use. Mostly, this is just an inappropriate themed thread that I tried to make incidentally MA - related with a couple of tongue-in-cheek remarks about meditation and sparring. I apologize for that. But, as GLW pointed out, these remarks form the basis for the only appropriately-themed discussion we can have here.

So back to Nexus' "fully meditating" remark. Would you like to define this? I think not, because meditation is many-faceted, and does not lend itself to such a description. As far as my own practice, successful meditation includes, but is not limited to: using my intention to lead chi (a bubbling or tingly feeling), to and through different parts of my body. Acheiving instances of myofascial release, definitely qualifies too. This is where tracts of muscle, tendon, and connective tissue suddenly release tension. A vibration which I have felt before in my dan tien. Other goals which I consider secondary - a disassociation with my surroundings and external senses, feeling the spirit high in the head, perception of other planes of existence, diminishing sense of "I" (diminishing ego).

I'd say that nowadays, herb use has virtually no impact on whether or not I can achieve the above goals, during meditation. However, when I was first learning to meditate, I found it moderately helpful with certain aspects. So I have to disagree with the notion that it cannot be helpful, that it must hold you back from full meditation.

However, Nexus, there may be certain classes of meditation that are indeed, impeded by use of the herb. I have not come across these practices, and perhaps they form part of your definition of "fully meditating."

Overall, pot use is probably bad for meditation, and I mean general use, not specific use. What I mean is, it's hard to find time to meditate when you have to spend 15 minutes looking for your keys. LOL, but I am serious. Your resistance is generally down versus your friend involving you in 6 hours of Madden Football. You tend to associate with people that don't clean up after themselves.

Unfortunately, I have not been keeping up the meditation of late. The obstacle: finding a room and time with silence and no interruptions. When I was meditating the most, actually I was living in a house with a bunch of young, slovenly hipsters and not working at the time. Overall a forgettable period in my life, except that this is when I took up Kung Fu.

I probably won't be able to really get back into it until I move my family to a house.


You may find the following statements to be controversial: when I was receiving Accupunture treatments, I found that smoking the herb afterwards magnified the effect of the treatment. I felt more "pinging" in my body after treatment. However, the opposite was true if I smoked before receiving accupunture: the treatment became less effective, I was spaced out too much and lost concentration, you need to "want" the pain and concentrate on it in order to increase the effect of the treatment. Herb's analgesic effect did not aid me here. However, receiving the treatment straight, then smoking up, it really helps your awareness of the changes in your body that accupuncture creates.

-FJ

Sometimes you have to make absurd comments to people with absurd perceptions. Just as you see the perception of me knowing the quality of your meditations from a distance to be absurd.

The comments I made were just there to flicker with the lightbulb.

That's okay. I started it with an absurd comment, which I have now retracted.

-FJ