The True Purpose of Tai Chi Is Self-Defense

In this interview I am joined by Adam Mizner, internationally renowned tai chi practitioner and meditation teacher. Adam recounts how a troubled childhood saw him begin martial arts and meditation training, and he reflects on his childhood psychic visionary experiences. Adam discusses the nature of internal cultivation, the role of standing practice, and provides a detailed analysis of the remarkable abilities and attainments of his teacher, the Thai Buddhist Arahant, Luang Por Jamnian. Adam also shares his current understanding about the true path of meditation, criticises visualisation practices found in Vajrayana Buddhism, questions the efficacy of tummo meditation, and elaborates on the mechanics of his famous push hands abilities. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep182-meditation-maverick-adam-mizner 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Difficult childhood & psychic visions 03:13 - Are psychic powers actually an ailment 04:26 - Pros and cons of psychic openness 06:10 - Beginning Tai Chi and meditation 08:09 - Hard training 08:54 - Internal cultivation is not gentle 10:37 - Becoming a Tai Chi creature 15:38 - Adam’s early training 18:20 - The power of standing practice 21:21 - Harnessing obsessive qualities for practice 23:15 - Leaving fight training 24:24 - Adam’s teachers 26:05 - Aversion to lineage 26:48 - Meeting the arhat Luang Por Jamnian 30:34 - The remarkable spiritual feats of Luang Por Jamnian 33:44 - The life and training of Luang Por Jamnian 36:39 - Beyond mind and body 38:28 - How to transcend mind and body 44:29 - Attained people vs charismatic talkers 47:42 - Different types of enlightened people 52:59 - The true path of meditation 58:41 - Cultivate stillness 01:02:42 - Learning to sit still, even with injuries 01:08:27 - Realising your limits 01:10:29 - Acclimatisation vs transcendence 01:14:46 - Adam on morality 01:18:51 - Imaginary enlightenment 01:19:46 - Critique of visualisation practices of Vajrayana 01:24:39 - The secret of metta cultivation 01:28:08 - Adam on the mirage of tummo 01:31:01 - Can authentic tummo be restored? 01:33:44 - Real transformation 01:42:44 - Practice techniques as sectarian conditioning 01:45:11 - Adam on sex and sexual practice 01:49:47 - Ejaculation and orthorexia 01:52:57 - Men vs women on the path 01:54:46 - Men’s hormonal tendencies 01:56:26 - Secret to Adam’s Fajing and push hands skills 02:07:07 - Advice for the seeker … To find our more about Adam Mizner, visit: - https://heavenmanearth.com/en/adam-mizner - https://discovertaiji.com/en - https://discovermind.com/en … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James