Sudhamma

Who is the greatest 'Hinayana' of all times? No other then Buddha Shakyamuni. What then did this greatest Hinayana, the founder of Buddhism preach on 'Anatta' , Not-self, Non-ego, egolessness, impersonality? The following are extracts from The Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of Buddhist terms and doctrines by Ven. Nyanatiloka: Quote: From Visuddhi Magga XVI: "Mere sufferring exists, no sufferer is found; The deeds are, but no doer of the deeds is there; Nirvana is, but not the man that enters it; The path is, but no traveller on it is seen." In the Buddha's second sermon, The Anatta-Lakkhana Sutta, the Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-Self, after His Enlightenment to His first 5 disciples, who after hearing it attained to perfect holiness, arahatta. The Contemplation of Not-Self (anattanupassana) leads to Emptiness Liberation (sunnata-vimokkha). Herein the faculty of wisdom (pannindriya) is outstanding, and one who attains in that way the Path of Stream-entry, is called a Dhamma-devotee (dhammanusari; ariya puggala); at the next two stages of sainthood he becomes a Vision-attainer (ditthippatta) and at the highest stage, ie holiness, he is called 'Liberated by Wisdom" (panna-vimutta)". Unquote The Buddhist Belief is neither Nihilism nor Eternality-Belief. Nor the Buddha or any Theravadins should be labelled as 'Hinayana'. In this OP on Buddhist Qigong, this dhamma discussion is a digression and to be fair to other contributors and readers, I will not proceed further in this (dhamma) discussion. Can we get back to the main theme?

It is interesting that the "Questions of King Milinda" is brought up. Ven Nagasena and King Milinda had agreed to a condition prior to this debate. The present day Afghanistan (or part of it) was governed by King Milinda, a Greek general who followed Alexander the Great in his Western conquest after the conquest of Persia. The condition of this debate was if King Milinda won, all Buddhist monks and nuns must leave the country and if Ven. Nagasena won, the king would allow the propagation of Buddhism. In this debate, the question of soul was debated (among other subjects) and of course, Buddhists would know that there is no-self, no-soul and no-Creator god within the Buddhist Dharma. And, the Greek king, believed in his Grecian religion which promoted the belief that there was a soul in each human being. Ven. Nagasena won the debate and the country and Buddhism flourished there. Huge Buddha statues were sculptored into the mountain side until the Taliban blew it up. Thus, it is not correct to state that "the Buddhist goal...isn't too far removed from the Daoist notion of immortality..". The spirit or soul is needed to be a immortal.There are other forms of Buddhism on the 'fringe' which absorbed other influences, like the 'esoteric' form in Cambodia which combined the influences of Christianity and Hinduism, the classic Tibetan Buddhism which combined Tantric Hinduism and Bon. All these influences confuse people who believe that these forms of Buddhism is what the Buddha taught. There is a 'Singlish' (Singapore-English) word which is recently accepted into the Oxford Dictionary, the word is 'kiasu', meaning the fear of loosing out. The acceptance of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism and practised as one is the insurance premium the Chinese paid to ensure their salvation in the after-life. Christianity would not allow such assimilation and so, families could be torn apart, one of the many reasons for the Boxers Rebellion during the Qing Dynasty.

In the Vinaya Rules, part of Tipikata, the Three Baskets, (the Rules) governing the conduct of Buddhist monks and nuns, any form of violence is abhorred, and martial arts with intent to maim or kill is likewise refrained. That's the Vinaya rules laid down by Buddha Shakyamuni. The object of Buddhism is not neidan cultivation to become immortals or gods but to seek the Ultimate Release from samsaric existence. Having said that, Buddhist form of martial arts and qigong exist only in China, not from its origin of birth. And, just like Communism, Buddhism in China takes on Chinese characteristics especially when Buddhist temples became haven for martial artists running away from their enemies and the Law. With the flourishing of martial arts in temples, it comes with it nei-gong practices. In the 1950s, the term nei-gong becomes qigong. Thus, besides helping the practitioner to train his/her mind to focus, Buddhist qigong has no other spiritual value.

Chinese martial arts, aka Wushu collectively, is a treasured national heritage, Guoshu, National Art. Like TCM, it is a national heritage. The Chinese Government is right to protect the congeniality of Guoshu by disallowing any Chang San, Lee Si to make claims to scam the public or to instigate unrest between practitioners and trainers. The bout between Wei Lei, a taiji practitioner and Xu Xiao Dong, the MMA guy, happened because of claims of martial prowess by the former. it was to the detriment of Wei Lei to accept the challenge when he had no credible fight experience. Learning a martial arts form is not the same as using it in a real fight situation. Knowing how to apply the moves in the training room with a compliant non-resisting student is not comparable to knowing how to apply them in real situations. Besides having a fight experience, the fighter must be bold, he must have stamina and physical strength (put away those nei-jia/taiji talk), and then last of all, kungfu, the least important. This 'kungfu' is not how many sets or forms or styles that one learns, but the discipline, effort, time and commitment that the fighter puts into his training. As is said, "it is not the person who practised 10,000 kicks that i'm afraid of, it is the one who practised one kick 10,000 times I'm afraid of", that's what is meant by kungfu. Kungfu is useless if the fighter do not have the guts nor the stamina and strength to match the competition. In the Nanking leitai competition organised by Nanking Guoshu Central Academy in the late 1920s (1928?), the competition rules were based on tradition: no holds barred except for prohibited attacks to neck, eyes and groin. The Academy was sponsored by Kuomingtang, the government-of-the-day to select 'credible' martial artists to train the troops and the citizenry in the war against Japan. it was also from this leitai competition that 5 (winners of various categories) were selected to go south to Guangdong to teach the Northern styles. In the first day (or first two days), a number of fighters were killed and the traditional rules were hastily modified initiating the precursor of the 'sports' version, sanda which became popular half a century later. For a CMA style to be established in the traditional martial arts circle, the founder must prove the effectiveness of his art, like Bruce Lee of his Jeet Koon Do. There is no certification system, and no belt system to verify that the style is authentic or the founder or trainer is authentic in CMA, only a system of fight and win, and most CMA schools were established in this manner: example, Tong bei vs Shaolin, and Tong bei won. The Shaolin guy who lost went back to the temple for a couple of years (3 years?) and later sought to avenge his defeat. This time, he won and established his 7-Star Praying Mantis. Others won their authenticity through wars and battles, Hung-jia, and Choy Li Fut were two of the many, fighting as rebels/insurgents against the Qing Dynasty (and to reestablish the Ming Dynasty). Those prohibitions by the Chinese Government is reasonable and understandable. For Wei Lei to establish his Taiji school, he should fight his way up without having to stage any leitai. Do it the old way.

The nearest Buddhist term to Immortality is 'Deathlessness', amata. Yet, any person born into the world from causal factors is conditioned to pass on in time; similarly with any dieties or gods, as their existence in time is conditional of their store of merits. Therefore, all sentient beings are subjected to samsaric existence. Time is a relative measurement of duration according to the spheres of existence, in other words, time on earth is much shorter than the time in heavens. Thus seriously, the Daoist definition or understanding of Immortality is irrelevant in Buddhism (Theravaden's, that is). Take the 'parable' of the waves for instance, the character of the first wave is not the same with the subsequent waves, if that is the case, where is the unchanging originality (of the first wave) that is required identity for eternal existence?

The Southern Shaolin Temple has been rebuilt at Pu-Tien, Fujian for the past 10+ years. From what I know, the 'Grand Ancestor Fist' Tai Zhu Chuan is being taught there. Shaolin Neijin Yizi Ch'an gong originates from there. When Southern Shaolin 'schools' are mentioned, it is not restricted to the Temple, but what flourishes outside the Temple....Guangdong's five major schools, and Fujian's four majors, and other numerous minor schools. Similarly, with Northern Shaolin 'schools'... Ta Sheng M'en, Wei Tor Liu He M'en, Mizong M'en, etc. I've given 2 links below: 1 for Putien and the other Quanzhou Shaolin Temples. I do not know whether both are actually the same, but called differently or there are 2 temples as Putien and Quanzhou are different locations. There is no longer a mystery where this Southern Shaolin Temple(s) is/are. Link: https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=putien+shaolin+temple&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiV3_nTvZfXAhXJtY8KHTYYBOgQsAQINw&biw=1093&bih=530&dpr=1.25 https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=quanzhou+shaolin+temple&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjgldXP8JfXAhWBr48KHeFECDoQsAQIRQ&biw=1093

The White Crane (Tibetan) system has an internal set, Needle in the Cotton, Mian ni zhen, very soft and 'sung'. For the past 30 odd years, we see the appearance of Liuhebafa, and Ch'an-m'en Taiji, both are internal sets, which are also very soft and 'sung' and is said to have originated from Shaolin Temple.

Let's listen carefully to what the reverent monk said in gendao's video: that the Yijinjing is a rudimentary practice of Shaolin Temple's martial curriculum and he mentioned of the coming of Bohdidharma to Shaolin. Not surprising, he too attributed the martial set of "Damo 18-hands" to Bohdidharma and also the introduction of Yijinjing and Xisuijing. Is Yijinjing + Xisuijing = paida lajin? All the good reverent spoke and showed of Xisuijing was jianbang-gong, a rudimentary "paida", a patting exercise.... one part of a whole, and thus, is incorrect to summarily said Xisuijing is but jianbang-gong, a patting exercise. It was believed that Xisuijing was lost for centuries until recently that the "skill" had surfaced. The Shaolin's text on Yijinjing survived to this day. In spotless's video, another reverent monk demonstrated briefly a form of Yijinjing and the subtitles also attributed the form to Shaolin and inroduced by Bohdidharma. Enough had been said of Yijinjing.

Quite right that most of the Southern Shaolin schools claim that it was Bodhidharma was the one who brought the fighting arts to China. So, if you are in one of these schools, your lineage began with Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma was one of the early Buddhist Indian monks who brought with them the (sectarian)"Teachings of the Buddha" to China and with (some of) them, the Indian martial arts. That is why most of the religious altars in these (Southern Shaolin) martial schools would have a portrait of Bodhidharma. The Northern schools, however do not have the same preoccupation with Bodhidharma. When Buddhism took roots in China and became the 'official' state religion, Buddhism became the religion of refuge for criminals and 'important' people (ex-officers) of the previous regime or dynasty. These people seeking refuge in Buddhist temples brought with them their martial skills and began to propagate their knowledge. Shaolin Temple was such a place of refuge. Truly, we can't attribute Shaolin martial arts to just one man, Bodhidharma. There was indigenous Chinese fighting arts before Bodhidharma stepped on Chinese soil. Let me also quote : There was a publication, co-researched with the Traditional Medical College of Shanghai and the Shanghai Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The book, "300 Questions on Qigong exercises" was published in 1994 by Guangdong Science and Technology Press. In the book, there is a mention of Yijinjing: "Yi Jin Jing (Canon of Changing Muscles) was created by the honored Buddhist Damo. It has become legendary that the honored Bodhidharma came from India in the East and inhabited in Shaolin Temple, where he passed on Mahayana of Buddhist Chan Xiu....The 12-posture moving exercise kept to this day is something that Wang Zuyuan learnt at Shaolin Temple at the Song Mountain." But all these talk is a digression from the OP of Yijinjing. I've said what I want to say on whether Yijinjing could be practised like taijichuan and my reason for saying it. As said, it is like practising Hung-jia with the softness of taijichuan (and hope that the attributes of Hung-jia would still be intact). It is up to the asker to choose his/her path.

What's in the name? Yijinjing. Legend has it that it was Bodhidharma who taught Yijinjing and Xishuijing to the monks of Shaolin Temple after seeing how fragile and weak were they after long hours of meditation. From the internet, there are a few versions of the "yijinjing". In the Daoist version as shown in the video, the Daoist priest had said that his Yijinjing was modified with Daoist principles of yangshengshu, the Daoist art of nourishing the body. All these modified versions were different from each other but capitalising on the name, Yijinjing. Perhaps, I'm not keeping with the times to advise that to learn Yijinjing, learn the authenicated original (or as close to the original as possible) form. The text of Shaolin Yijinjing is still around after these many centuries and one could refer to them. The choice is with the one wishing to learn Yijinjing... its original Shaolin version or something-else with the same name.

Yi jin jing, the muscle-tendon changing 'sutra' is a Shaolin practice in nei-kung. It is not taught as a 'relaxation' exercise, "sung" a someone puts it. There is some degree of tension and sync with the breathing method as done by Shaolin practitioners. I will not go for any modified yi-jin-jing and rather learn the more authenticated form, and in which case, is not practised like a taijichuan form. There is a question whether yi jin jing can be practised like taijichuan. The short answer is if you do that, the purpose and object of the yi jin jing form is lost...and what do you gain from doing that after say, 10 years of wilfully wrong practise? it is just like asking whether a taijichuan form can be practised like a hung-gar chuan, know what I mean?

The best part: the 4 'godly' virtues of Loving-kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity. The worst part: Anger, Greed and Ignorance.

An extract from www.ancient-origins.net Did ancient peoplereally have long life-spans longer than 200 years? Accounts in Many Cultures, Including Chinese and Persian In ancient China, super-centenarians were also commonplace, according to many texts. Joseph P. Hou, Ph.D., acupuncturist, wrote in his book “Healthy Longevity Techniques”: “According to Chinese medical records, a doctor named Cuie Wenze of the Qin dynasty lived to be 300 years old. Gee Yule of the later Han dynasty lived to be 280 years old. A high ranking Taoist master monk, Hui Zhao, lived to be 290 years old and Lo Zichange lived to be 180 years old. As recorded in the The Chinese Encyclopedia of Materia Medica, He Nengci of the Tang dynasty lived to be 168 years old. A Taoist master, Li Qingyuan, lived to be 250 years old. In modern times, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, Lo Mingshan of Sichuan province, lived to be 124 years old.” Dr. Hou said the Eastern key to longevity is “nourishing life,” including not only physical nourishment, but also mental and spiritual nourishment. Another link:

More accurately, "If you see the Buddha (in your meditative state), "kill" him". The 'buddha' that one 'sees' during meditation is an illusion and the meditator should therefore destroy/ignore it. About cynicism: When Buddha Shakyamuni was meditating under a tree and he was approached by an ascetic. The ascetic seeing the noble bearing of the Buddha, asked who he was. "Are you a god?" asked the ascetic, and the Buddha answered "No, I am not a God". "So, who are you?" the ascetic asked. The Buddha answered, "I am Buddha." The ascetic hearing the claim, sneered and walked away. And, the ascetic lost his opportunity to be enlightened by the Buddha.

Please allow me to expand on what is written: Metta Bhavana: "May I be well and happy, may I be free from ill-will, distress, and illnesses; sabbe satta sukhita hontu! May my parents, siblings and family be free from ill-will, distress, and illnesses; may they be well and happy, sabbe satta sukhita hontu! May my teachers, friends, and relatives be free from ill-will, distress, and illnesses; may they be well and happy, sabbe satta sukhita hontu! May all those who are unfriendly towards me, find peace and happiness, may they be free from ill-will, distress, and illnesses always: may they be well and happy, sabbe satta sukhita hontu!" This is one good way to 'break' the 5 (forms of) khandha, gradually but surely. Do it everyday and this metta, loving-kindness, regulate your thoughts and actions. Metta, is one of the 4 Godly virtues. May you be well and happy always!

One way of looking at aging is that the cells are not rejuvenated fast enough. And any reversal of aging will mean that at the point of qi-activation of the rejuvenation, the age-status of the person is at that point in time with wrinkles, slack skin and all. I don't believe that the person can reverse the aging process, from 300+ years old to 25 years old. On a cellular level, the rate of cell replacement equals cell degeneration and aging is arrested. To do that, qi not only has to flow internally, but also outwards to the skin level. That's my take....remember that qi flows as directed by yi, your Mind. There are some friends whom I know do not look their age but they are not qigong adepts. So perhaps if one is to practise diligently and CORRECTLY, well, one could shave off a decade or more. Oh yes, the emotional aspect, diet and moral living play an important part as well to 'hide' your age. Be happy, don't worry.

It's a direct translation of the qigong form (Fan Lau Huan Tong) as taught by one Dr Sha in Taiwan and gaining popularity in Singapore as well. I'm not a practitioner of the form nor able to 'learn' from the internet without joining the class. So, anyone interested should therefore join their class and learn whether the result of practising the qigong will result in them having a big head and small body. All you have to do is type in "Fan Lau Huan Tong" and the sites are up for you to enter. It is needless to answer your last question, right?

I remembered a qigong system which I was told was popular in Taiwan, its called Fan Lau Huan Tong Gong, "The Reversal of Aging to be a Child (again)". It was taught and promoted by one Dr Sha. I could not get hold of any videos of this gongfa and perhaps there are practitioners of this system in this forum who can share their insights on this interesting subject.

Ok, now I know where you are coming from. The original post asked what is the seed of the Buddha-Dhamma, a very typical Buddhist topic. Though the Buddha Sakyamuni was an Indian born into a Hindu family, there was no Hindu philosophy in His Teachings, even in the 40 objects for meditation, there is no 'kundalini', the energy-serpent, or MCO, or Chi. Though in His Teachings, there are numerous Indian or if you like, Hindu terms, he has given them new meanings which bears no semblance to Hinduism, and Yoga is part of Hinduism. You asked me a question on how I dealt with suffering. It is important here to understand the Buddhist term, dukka, which is very conveniently translated as 'suffering'. Dukka arises when there is unpleasantness from the lack of fulfilment of a desire. It is a broad term relating to mere dissatisfaction (like still hungry after a meal) on one extreme of dukka to mental anguish and physical pain on the opposite extreme end of dukka. The short answer is that I will deal with that unpleasantness there and then, but the most important mental aspect at that moment is being aware of the rising tension. Last word, all 5 khandha binds the person to this world and the next, and the next...

There are many qigong forms to choose from, but if you are going to practise a few forms with the help of DVDs, then choose those with similar/same breathing technique. There are about 2000+ forms and every one of them is good for you to choose from. These forms fall mainly into four main classifications of Qigong, The Daoist, The Buddhist, The Medical, and The Confucianist, each with their peculiar emphasis and objective. Again, it is best to choose within the same classification. One of the oldest forms of Qigong is The Five Animal Frolic which was pioneered during the Three Kingdom period by the great Chinese physician, Hua Tor. Learning Qigong and be proficient of it, is not within a matter of weeks, but years. There are 3 layers of study: firstly, the physical mechanics, postures and mastering them and in most instances, the degree of relaxation or 'looseness' in internal system, nei-jia. Secondly, the gathering of qi which will only result from proper inhalation and exhalation, and in this respect, not all qigong forms adopt a singular breathing method (there are 4 main methods) and thirdly, moving the qi with intent, and perhaps even qi emission (this depends on the form and the teacher). DVDs can cover the first two layers, and that of course depends on the intensity and depth of instruction. Even simple qigong form like Xiang Gong, Fragrant Qigong, is simple to look at and to practice, yet, given the three layers of practice, is difficult to master. If you are committed and be diligent, you can succeed. A good 2 hours, max 3, practice is good enough, and do not over-practice as it can be injurious to your health. The best bet is to look for a good master that can train you in those three aspects. Good luck.

In reply to ChiForce, Not exactly. Ask yourself this question...have you broken through the first skandha of Form???? Considering you understand the meaning of the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths. That is, have you relieved yourself from your own emotional afflictions and attachment to your world, ever? Reply: 1. For the purpose of readers like Limahong, ‘skanda’ (Sanskrit) or’ Khandha’ (Pali) means, the 5 groups of Existence or groups of ‘clinging’. And the 5 groups sum up all the phemenoma of existence and which result in the (ignorant) man’s ego or personality. These 5 groups have to be experienced at once, not one after another. What are these 5? Rupa, corporeality of form, Vedana, feelings, Sanna, perception, Sankhara, mental-formation, and Vinnana-kkhandha, consciousness. All these 5 make up an individual like you, ChiForce, Limahong and me. Rupa, is the body with all the hairs, skin, eyes, face, limbs, torso, etc... and what is meant that you have broke through your bodily form? 2. I’ve not fully relieved myself from emotional afflictions and attachment to my world, but I’ve progressed much, from an emotional beast to a mellowed thinking less-of-a-beast. I’m happy for you for having removing all the fetters and you should be at least an arhant then. Well, I have and I didn't even need to know the 4 noble truths and 8 fold paths. You have to work within the existing human conditions and context to liberate yourself and other individuals. Suffering from social injustice because of racism? Reciting the 4 noble truths and the 8 fold paths won't work. Reply: The 8-Fold Path can be sub-divided into Effort, Knowledge and Concentration, and none of these comes from intense recitation of suttas. One must practice, understand the practice, and how practice can bring about Happiness and Bliss. i can agree with you here is that recitation for the purpose of mere recitation do not work. However, if recitation is a form of meditation or concentration, than it is a good and perfect tool to perfect one's one-pointedness (mental focusing). They aren't magical sutras. Reply: There seems to be a gross misunderstanding as to what sutras or suttas is or is not. Basically, suttas are Teachings of the Buddha, and each teaching centres on a problem or matter in the preaching. Some are direct, and some indirect as the Buddha crafted His teaching according to the audience. I’m of course referring to teachings as recorded in the Pali Canon. Yet, some are ‘magical’ in its content as the sutta calls on Dieties and Gods, as in the First Sermon to bear witness to the Buddha’s Enlightenment. You would try to prove to the world that racism can't keep you down. You would eventually realize that your race isn't the cause of your suffering, but a social construct designed to create racial inequality in the society. You would then begin to embrace your race and ethnicity and would no longer try to become something or someone that causes your suffering. This works well with sexism and gender politics too. If you have really exhausted the mind to penetrate the root cause of your suffering by working within your own human conditions and context, you have broken the first skandha of Form. Your Kundalini energy would rise, period, speaking from experiences. You are then awakened and to have discovered your Dharma Gates. LOLOLOLOLOLOL............ Reply: I’m very, and very ignorant of what you are talking about ‘kundalini’ and ‘dharma gates’. The rest of what you wrote in the above paragraph is understandable. And as said, you can’t break through 1 form of khandha without breaking through the rest at the same time as we are dealing with a form called Man. But, if you said you could and have broken through the 1st form, so be it.

I couldn't contribute to this subject of replenishing jing, the 'sexual' (?) essence beyond the practice of zhan zhuang and the opening of the 8 extra-meridians which has one part of moving the qi up to the sexual organ before entering into the LDT. my teacher told me that when jing is full, you won't feel hungry for food, that is.

Yes, Limahong, the 8-Fold Path is the 4th Noble Truth. Not all sentient beings possess this Buddha-nature, the potential to be a Buddha. A person exist within a situation, he has to grasp with reality as it affects his mental and physical state, though reality as it is, is in a state of flux changing from moment to moment. If his target is to seek happiness and bliss within the Buddha-Dhamma, then realization must come with wisdom and knowledge, and the eradication of anger and greed. And that type of happiness and bliss is long lasting. For instance, the Limahong, who asked for an affirmation whether the 8-Fold Path is linked to the 4th Noble Truth is not the same Limahong who after reading this knows that indeed, the 8-Fold Path is the 4th Noble Truth. However, the reality of the Limahong asking the question exist within a context, yet that reality do not exist anymore as a new reality forms as of now. It is this impermance of all phenomena that exist because of conditions that there is no definitive permanency and hence, 'emptiness' in the end. But on the other hand, you are not 'emptiness' now. You exist. Besides the bio-skeletal self, you are a sum total of your memory, prejudices, emotions, value-system, character, ego, behaviour, psyche, and things of that sort that differentiate you from other people. It is because you have all those qualities which I shall group as Mind, that you have the potential to be enlightened, a Buddha.

The seed of the Buddha-Dhamma is the potential to be 'Awakened', Bodhicitta. If humankind do not possess this potential, then the Buddha-Dhamma is useless and meaningless. Opposing this potential is "Ignorance", the root cause to Dependent Origination, and is the target to be removed by the practice of the 8-Fold Path which itself can be categorized into: Effort, Knowledge, and Concentration.

You 'liked' the post because it reasonated with you, the adjective is a mere color. Thus, you are fast becoming.