senseless virtue
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Posts posted by senseless virtue
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My new ageless plastic Guru! Total devotion!
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53 minutes ago, statusquovadis said:a collector of meditation techniques
What motivates your hobby? Are you still trying to discover what type of practice actually interests you?
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Who cares about being politically correct when you can be technically correct!
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Buddhist Practice Is Not For Spacing Out
Buddhism is very keen on emptiness and unselfishness (non-self), but it's not spaced out or navel gazing hippie spirituality. Why?
Buddhism teaches that there are two merits to be accumulated: the merit of virtue & the merit of emptiness. The former requires compassionate action and true altruistic love for others because only these realize what is truly unselfish behavior. This is where many people — especially the self-initiated Western folk — interested in internal cultivation get a failing grade: they simply disregard perfecting conduct as a supplement at best or as a needless annoyance at worst. You wouldn't find any traditional Buddhist teacher supporting such disregarding notions.
People who claim to understand about abiding in emptiness might just get swallowed by a false impression instead. I have seen quite a few Western yogis (even more abundantly outside of this forum) who claim to attainments and speak of their self-grasping having diminished, but neither do their conduct nor yogic accomplishments align with the traditional criteria at all. Who is fooling whom?
No virtue, no bodhicitta, thus no advancing in the two accumulations. For those who wish to practice the Buddhist way: Don't go cherry picking what is easy or you may end up doing the spiritual equivalent of glue huffing or sniffing farts and thinking yourself really civilized and top of the game. Please have some grounded skepticism instead and try not to be impressed by any appearance of "emptiness" because that itself would also be another illusion.
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57 minutes ago, dwai said:This forum is different. We are stubborn that way - we work our way through the actual human condition to get to a place of equilibrium. And then more human condition joins, and they either learn to respect the other bums and grow up, or they leave (some are given timeouts, others shown the door).
What you refer to seems to be more in line with growing in tolerance and adapting to conformity. I don't see these necessarily leading to genuine respect, kindness, or compassion.
57 minutes ago, dwai said:Good recovery.
I have to make such maneuvers because the benefit of doubt given to users on this forum varies quite a lot, and I'm not only referring to moderation. The variance sometimes feels rather unsettling actually, which brings us back on this current controversy about how people feel about the user "awaken".
57 minutes ago, dwai said:See, progress already.
Whatever.
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On 6/27/2022 at 1:08 AM, silent thunder said:repeated for resonance
Sometimes I really just wonder how hard it is to develop rapport and have caring human discussions even though dissidence is present.
QuoteNope,
Not interested,
Not going to give any direct response,
The point went straight over your head, ha-ha!
I think you got lost in the provisional meaning, ho!
I know the secrets of spiritual view,
Spiritual freedom is so high and so am I,
Wheeeeeeeeee!
I don't mind it though. I suppose that being curious about what others do only leads to side tracks.
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6 hours ago, zerostao said:always respect/respectful
7 hours ago, Yueya said:a forum underpinned by kindness and compassion
Ooh, where do you find these places?
Maybe I'm overly pessimistic in my observation, but I find it unreasonably hopeful thinking that a sprawling spiritual discussion forum would be an actual place of respect, kindness, and compassion. People rarely join any Internet discussions in order to have their non-virtues uprooted, but to receive grooming or have verbal wrangling with others.
Nothing wrong with the ideals of peace and respect though. It just doesn't reflect our actual human condition very much.
EDIT: After re-reading the above, I think I should have been more careful with the words because they can give an impression as if manners or benevolent oversight are entirely lacking in forums such as TDB. This is not the case, so I would like to apologize for my unskillful wording.
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4 hours ago, Eden said:Is there a limit to how much Chi you can compress into the lower dan tian?
The body is an illusion, energy and its storing are illusions, and the act of "compression" doesn't mean anything else except giving apparent solidity for the mind's desire to have some squishy and graspable sensations.
Energy "compression" almost certainly is a deviant way to practice because you are only playing with sensations.
The authentic goal of internal skills is to access a level of inner peace where your conceptual or thinking mind stops messing with the body-mind's natural capacity to retain a stable view of non-action: You simply stop playing around with your mind.
This might sound a bit technical, so I would ask that you please read it a few times with the Daoist and Buddhist philosophy of non-action in your mind. It's an important lesson.
QuoteAn example: I am experiencing some free floating anxiety from doing some mantra or asana work, like too much energy in the system and its causing some fear or anxiety.
Any anxiety would be the surfacing of your own pre-existing condition(s).
My advice would be to stop forcing yourself and seek a knowing teacher to help you process your existing issues first.
By the way, do you even have a (good) teacher already? Self-initiation can be a painful road with its trials and errors process, and asking the Internet for advice is another unwise thing to do.
But to each his or her own! Maybe I'm already giving plenty of ignorant advice here. If you receive more responses that give contradictory advice, then it could increase your anxiety and confusion. That's what self-initiation and practicing without good and knowledgeable teachers gives: you truly remain on your own.
QuoteI can compress the energy into the DT, sort of stabilize it there into a chi ball... Im just curious if there a limit to how much you can store there, and what the best way would be to lock in place there so it doesnt come back up to the head to create anxiety.
What you are experiencing and fearing would be the results of continued forcing and grasping, not correct mind training. If you overstimulate the mind or agitate the heart, then it easily leads to sensations rushing up to head.
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A beautiful prayer. Full text available at Lotsawa House website:-
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I think we could have more discussion about referencing, quotations, and establishing credible and trustworthy sources. Branching into a separate thread perhaps?
On 6/22/2022 at 4:47 PM, ralis said:It is proper to give credit to the author of any quote by correctly including the book title and page number where the quote comes from.
This is the academic view chiefly if you appeal to the respect for the author. There is no need to classify plagiarism if there is no competition or anything to lose or gain.
The best use of referencing simply acknowledges the reader and sets the threshold low. As an interested reader, I would rather prefer good meta information if something sounds especially appealing and worth discovering more.
On 6/22/2022 at 4:59 PM, C T said:Nah. This is proper nuf.
True enough for a casual discussion such as this.
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On 6/5/2022 at 7:21 PM, zerostao said:I do think getting them at the original source provides more value.
What is this more value you refer to?
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On 5/6/2022 at 3:09 AM, Yueya said:The one on right has been sitting there for years and is a fully awakened follower of the Way and hence knows there is no place the Way doesn’t exist, including in piss and shit.
Since the love of the Buddhas has been likened to that of parents' love for their children: Could you see yourself installing enshrined images of your very own mother and father in the outhouse toilet? What type of mindfulness would such pictures result then?
Personally, I wouldn't offer any type of (questionable) honor to the Buddha if the same respect wouldn't be fit for my parents, good friends, or significant other either. I think there is important merit in showing our loved ones (and with enough bodhicitta even including our enemies) that we really mean well and want to offer only the best.
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When do the spiritual teachers act like dodgy salespeople? Is this behavior ever necessary for teachers in order to benefit the student?
I consider dodgy salespeople as great spiritual advisors. Not because they offer good value for money or that I'm buying anything, but because their clever rationalizations and plain encouragement of greed makes it easier to see how the world is built on illusions and managing perceptions of comfort.
Do we have a deal yet?
Here's a bit longer TV documentary:
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Bringing up Mopai is a wonderful way to lead any discussion to men's prostates.
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Thank you @centertime. Sifu Korahais seems like an agreeable and likeable person.
7 minutes ago, centertime said:-He introduces these categories , not mentioned elsewhere: consolidating the chi, circulating the chi..etc..... He seems to give a general framework that makes the whole Chi Kung world earlier to understand , not just his.<---- I like this.
Everything up to here seemed like it could work alright for casual practitioners, but bringing up a term like "consolidated qi" seems very excessive and way too theoretical to me.
My personal experience has been that people who promote and practice energetic stimulation first of all instead of seeking calmness and mind qualities that support it will miss out the real depth of internal skills even if they seem to talk much which sounds sensible.
I could be wrong here and therefore I don't wish to jump into conclusions regarding to Sifu Korahais' teachings, so I will just say that people who seek teachers could benefit from paying extra special attention to how the teacher approaches mind training and if it's truly what you are wishing to learn: How you habitually train your mind will affect you for years to come.
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Sealing means that you give hugs to cuuuuuute seal pups.
Spoiler
Spoiler
Proper sealing boosts oxytocin aka the cuddle hormone and makes you feel happy.
There is an alternative theory in qigong practices, but it's not so adorable. It says that you should have some wise routine that ends your stillness meditation gracefully. It brings you back to full wakeful state without disturbing the precious energy you have accumulated in your lower dantian or some other relevant part of your energy-body. Some teachers argue that a proper energetic closing includes smoothing meridians of any stuck energy and cleansing the aura, but I guess it depends on the practice itself if it has any type of potential hazards or warrants extra safety measures.
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Uh oh, this doesn't sound good at all.
I don't think it's good for your health to continue with any Zhan Zhuang unless you receive supervised instructions and corrections from a qualified master directly.
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I know two teachers with clinical training in the traditional Chinese medicine.
Rudi teaches top-notch Neigong:
Sifu John Dolic teaches a lot of great medical styles.
https://www.qigongchinesehealth.com/
7 hours ago, centertime said:Hi there @centertime. Your terse reply leaves me curious.
Have you trained with Sifu Korahais? What makes this teacher stand out favorably in your opinion?
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It's true that silver has some very good properties as far as medicinal value goes, but as far as I understand these effects are for harming life to the effect of purification and expelling pathogens.
Why should anyone continue to consume substantial amounts of powerful medicine that is not characteristically life supporting in order to keep their general vitality good? It doesn't seem to make much sense in my opinion.
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About the Authenticity of Dr. Baolin Wu's Books
Yesterday I was reading (oriental medicine doctor and licensed acupuncturist) Dr. Baolin Wu's book Eight Immortals' Revolving Sword of Pure Yang (2011) and came to a passage about Wang Xiangzhai, the famous internal martial artist and Zhan Zhuang expert. The problem is that the related circumstances and explanations given in the book are completely anachronistic because Wang Xiangzhai would have already been dead by then. This is furthermore incriminating because Dr. Baolin Wu presents these as unashamedly biographical and factual experiences that would corroborate his skills as a TCM practitioner and internal arts teacher. Therefore I can only conclude that Dr. Baolin Wu's narration here is fraudulent. To what extent his writings and teachings could then be trusted is unknown to me, but I decided to shred his books and toss the remains into waste paper recycling. I offer my sincere and deep apologies to The Dao Bums readers for having presented some of this man's publications and teachings in a positive light earlier: I should have been more careful and discerning, despite the fact that there exist reliable accounts of miraculous feats in many Eastern traditions, which invites benefit of doubt with those initiated in these arts. These prior appraisals I completely recant and have now edited out. My liking of his books was a mistake rooted in the past when I became too easily impressed with his first book and hadn't returned to review it carefully enough afterwards.
Synopsis of Facts Relating to Dating the Alleged Encounter(s) with Wang Xiangzhai
Baolin Wu was born in 1954 which is a fact presented at least in his following books in the Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data section before the list of contents: Qi Gong for Total Wellness (2006) and Qigong Journey: Nine-Five Maintenance of Qi (2021). The birth year explicitly or implicitly comes in some other books also, like in the opening of sub-chapter "Called to the Dao" in Eight Immortals' Revolving Sword of Pure Yang, page 3:
"In 1958, when Wu Baolin was four years old[.]"
On the page 79 of the Eight Immortals book, it is told of Dr. Baolin Wu's youth:
"At the age of seven, Little Wu was already quite proficient in the practice of the Eigth Immortals' Revolving Sword. Master Du encouraged his young acolyte every day to practice diligently in a courtyard right outside his quarters inside the monastery. At the same time, Little Wu also developed a skill called "light practice" (qinggong), a light, floating, or jumping form of gongfu."
In the next few pages it's described how the mischievous Little Wu provoked a violent response after tearing down an acrobat troupe's banner using the special lightness skill. This then lead to Dr. Baolin Wu's "Master Du" (it's questionable whether he is based on any real likeness or some fictitious Wuxia novel character) to use special kungfu to the effect that on the page 83, it says:
"A month after the incident, word arrived at the White Cloud Temple that the elderly man had passed away, due to multiple ruptures in the internal organs. Master Du then informed his students of his true identity: Master Guo had been the senior student of a famous mind boxing (xingyi) master by the name of Guo Yunshen. He warned everyone that sooner or later, his other students would seek revenge. When that happened, nobody was to give away his whereabouts.
Challenges
It came about three years later. Wang Xiangzhai had been Guo Yunshen's top student and later became a well-known fighter working as a bodyguard. After hearing of the death of his martial uncle, his other senior student, he quit his job to prepare for revenge. He then went to Beijing and publicly announced his challenge to Master Du Xingling."
The narration goes on to alleging that Wang Xiangzhai petulantly tried to pick up a fight, lost an internal force contest, left the monastery grounds, and was invited back to witness Master Du's internal force demonstration. The books author's claims that Wang Xiangzhai then begged on knees to be accepted as a student. On page 85, it continues:
"Persistent in his quest to become a Daoist, Wang Xiangzhai came back to the monastery regularly, hoping to be accepted into the monastic order. [...] Instead, Master Du allowed him to visit the monastery to practice with his students on the 1st and 15th days of every lunar month. On these practice days, Wang indirectly learned many things from Master Du but he remained barred from the higher levels, mainly for his own future safety.
Master Wu and Wang soon agreed to exchange teachings on these days and over time came to call other brothers. Thus Master Wu shared with him the complete set of static qigong postures known as "standing form" (zhanzhuang), which eventually became Wang's central practice. It increased his energetic power manifold, so that in later years he would be known as the "Invincible" among all the outer schools and around the globe. In return, Wang later gave Master Wu all his notes and writings, collected during a lifetime of martial study and research; he also taught him his ultimate qigong form called "Great Accomplishment Fist" (Dacheng quan)."
Please take a special note on the claims that "in later years he [Wang Xiangzhai] would be known" and "Wang later gave Master Wu all his notes and writings" which imply that a lot of time would pass.
Summary of Dating Issues
Dr. Baolin Wu, born in 1954, claims to have practiced the lightness skill at the age of seven and that "about three years later" he and his teacher met Wang Xiangzhai around 1964, when Dr. Baolin Wu was about ten years old. You can look up everywhere in the Internet, including Wikipedia, that Wang Xiangzhai died on July of 1963.
An Earlier Book Gives a Completely Different Impression on How Xiangzhai Had Already Been Well-Acquainted with "Master Du"
Examining the earlier book Qi Gong for Total Wellness furthermore reveals that in the span of five years (from 2006 to 2011, the respective years of publishing) there has been a radical revision in how the persona of Wang Xiangzhai is presented. On pages 8-9, just take a look how it says that Wang Xiangzhai supposedly was practicing the 9 Palaces Qigong "all his life" as a student of Master Du (I have underlined interesting segments):
"Master Du's most famous martial arts student is a name that has gone down in the annals of modern martial arts history. Wang Xiangzhai is recognized around the world as the great twentieth-century popularizer of Chinese martial arts inside and outside China. As an unbeatable master, he traveled extensively, taught, wrote, and established a number of forums and organizations for the study and dissemination of scientific martial arts. There are many stories of the Chinese, Japanese, and Western fighters who came from all around to be bested by his superior skills.
All his life, he practiced the 9 Palaces. With his lifetime of study and his public persona, he did more than any other figure to publicize the energetic principles of the 9 Palaces. His books and lectures are famed for discussing the body's natural "springing power." The body can express energy like the release of a coiled spring. Wang would often compare the strength of this force to the power unleashed by a person maddened with anger or distress. Even ten men can't hold down a man or woman overtaken by his or her own primal intensity. Wang's writings go to great lengths to conceptualize the body as a spring and the personal aspects involved in allowing force to come out naturally from inside. However, he refrained from directly discussing the full scope of this force. In fact, it is the energy of the 9 Palaces.
The coiled, springlike aspect of natural force is only the most basic element of a complex process. Practicing 9 Palaces Oi Gong develops this force not as an end in and of itself, but as a means of igniting an electrifying energy. Once you can call forth this bioelectrical power, everything that comes at you can be repelled. Just a touch can stun with the impact of an electric shock. This is how Wang, like his master before him, was so successful. Master Du recognized Wang's natural abilities and leadership skills and trained him in order to send him out as a living demonstration of the power of Qi Gong, expressed through martial arts. Practice Qi Gong, and anything that hits you will spring off. However, with its protective and propulsive qualities, this same force can equally be used for healing work or taken further into higher levels of spiritual development. It comes from a unified effort of body, mind, and spirit. It cannot be grasped on a purely intellectual level. It must be practiced to be understood. To understand it is to understand yourself. With this understanding comes a passage into a new realm of energy and awareness."
All quotations in this article fall under fair use doctrine for non-profit educational purposes and offering fair and reasonable criticism. Moreover, since these quoted segments are presented as factual (and biographical) by the authors of the books, they don't readily fall under the protection of copyright laws that only cover creative expression.
Some of the mentions about Wang Xiangzhai can also be found through Google Books service:
I rest my case. I can only remind everyone to check facts meticulously if the claims sound too off-landish to give any further benefit of doubt. Name dropping famous people and places is another indication that could indicate riding on someone else's coattails. I do wonder if his publishers or students ever question these claims of Dr. Baolin Wu or if they take every bit of his words as precious morsels.
What Have Others Investigated about Dr. Baolin Wu's Claims?
@Walker made an impressive investigation several years ago already:
This fortifies the argument that "Master Du" very likely is a complete fabrication that was made up to impress Dr. Baolin Wu's students with some very special connection and potential — that could maybe rub on you if you spend money on his courses and healing services, as such marketing business is usually motivated.
Further Notes
The Eight Immortals book was further troubled by two gross sights of factual error, and there could be more since I didn't even finish reading the book. First, indicating a complete lack of basic chemistry the toxic element of cinnabar was claimed to be lead instead of mercury. In an act of ultimate irony, the authors would then go on to describe how the three states of water have a "mercurial" character in the same discussion. Second, in order to strengthen the reader's "faith" in Daoist wizardry, Dr. Baolin Wu shared mythical story about Lü Dongbin turning stones into sheep and having them walk a long distance in order to build a bridge. He goes on to remark that wizards or immortals in other cultures basically did the same and thus built fine monuments. Then he specifically brings up the Egyptian pyramids and how their massive stones couldn't possible have been constructed by human labor alone, which is in complete ignorance of what the archaeologists have found out long ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_techniques
The bottom line is that it's unlikely that there is much truth in what Dr. Baolin Wu claims and if there coincidentally is some worthwhile substance he mixes in, then the real quality material might have been "borrowed" from other sources that aren't actually faking their expertise or experiences. This then asks how much editorial oversight Livia Kohn's Three Pines Press spends on vetting their publications and if they are at all concerned about possible copyright infringement issues causing harm for the business.There also is a real concern that Dr. Baolin Wu might have completely made up his publicly taught practices or appropriated them from multiple sources without much idea nor care about what actually benefits the practitioners as long as it keeps them feeling satisfied with some "sensations" and hooked on his appeal as a mystic master. It's a serious error if the students get attached to the teacher's influence in any case, and given how much Baolin Wu keeps inflating his and his likely imaginary teacher's (Du Xinling) credentials, I feel it's fair to say that his books are not giving a good impression about his ethical commitments. Could such lack of sincerity and humility nourish goodness of heart?
I was asked a highly relevant question about the book's usefulness if extensive fraud is suspected, so I'm presenting the question and my answer.
QuoteI wonder though, is there nothing that could be taken as useful from such books? Even if the person is a charlatan, does it mean that all they said is automatically useless?This is a good question. My opinion is that everyone would absolutely like to trust a person's expertise and integrity if the topic is of great importance. If you contracted a carpenter or mason to build you a nice home and then found out that he has build flawed housings and cheated people with empty promises, then you would start to feel serious regret and try to find a way to rescind the contract without losing your time or money.
I wouldn't want anyone to be influenced by lies and nonsense that may only have a hair's width of truth. Spirituality and cultivation are dead serious matters as far as correct results are concerned: Flawed practice can at the worst lead to injury or death if persisted in, but at the very best it's a waste of time and money unless this loss is turned into a wisdom lesson to be more careful the next time.
The problem with Dr. Baolin Wu's books is that I can't be absolutely certain when he's making things up unless I have direct contrary personal experience or do meticulous cross-referencing on many esoteric topics and historically verifiable circumstances he mentions. It would be a grind with little to gain because his marketed practices themselves are almost certainly nothing worth trying because he already made such a big lie.
One thing that could be learned from his books is to observe how he cleverly uses them to promote himself and his teachings. Understanding this can train a more discerning mind for future encounters with dubious teachers and teachings.-
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Somewhere in between freelance translation projects, writing my master's thesis in Chinese (topic: the historical reception of Weng Baoguang's commentary on Awakening to Reality and the misinterpretations of his and other early alchemists' symbolic language that led to the creation of so-called "sexual alchemy" hundreds of years and three dynastic periods after his death... dry as hell, but hopefully useful to anybody who's ever been told by a sexual predator posing as a spiritual guide "you need to have sex with me so I can 'transmit' the Dao to you" or some such nonsense--I actually know people who have received such nauseatingly deranged propositions, so turn and leave if you're ever so unfortunate as to hear these words, and don't hesitate to deliver a forceful knee to the utterer's testicles if he doesn't shut his face and get out of your way), and enjoying the holidays, I managed to finish a complete second draft of the Ten Discourses. It still needs an editor's discerning eye, but I weeded out a lot of errors and made big improvements to the early chapters, which I translated way back 2017 and early 2018. I'll probably do another run through for a third draft in the springtime. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from chapter three:
҉
Cultivating to such a level is not easy. And yet, despite being difficult, it still simply starts from the thought occupying the present moment. We must grasp ahold of thought in the present moment, inspect it, and become its master. When our skill has evolved, we will arrive at the realm of self-fulfilling wisdom rooted in absolute reality and perfect, self-aware clarity. This is the stage of being spiritually connected to the universe, what Huang calls “integrity equaling heaven and earth.”
“Wisdom rooted in absolute reality,” called bhutathata in Sanskrit, is a Buddhist term. There are ten appellations for buddhas, one of which, Tathagata, refers to this wisdom. In Chinese, bhutathata is written as “ru ru.” The first ru refers to the fundamental reality of all phenomena; two ru’s together implies manifesting in accord with this fundamental reality, without any of the striving and clinging that grow out of an individuated, distinction-making mind. It from this wisdom that all supernormal, marvelous capabilities can appear of their own spontaneous accord.
Unfortunately, due to lack of alertness and awakeness that characterizes us as ordinary people, when the mysterious pass stirs and the prior heaven state reveals itself to us, we invariably miss the opportunity to make use of it. In actuality, even without any cultivation whatsoever, there are many points in a human life when the mysterious pass appears. But since we do not know what it for what it is, we do not fully experience it.
For instance, when a flash of inspiration comes to a poet whose writers block had prevented him or her from finishing a poem, that moment of inspiration represents an opening of the mysterious pass. Similarly, imagine a scientist who has hit a solid brick wall in his or her research that no amount of scouring the mind can overcome. If he or she finally gives up puts everything down, prior heaven original nature might suddenly reveal itself with a bright flash of insight, making everything about the conundrum crystal clear. “Ah-hah” moments, too, indicate the activity of the mysterious pass. However, the scientist uses the activity of his or her mysterious pass to make breakthroughs in research, and the poet uses it to write poetry—they do not put the mysterious pass to use to cultivate the Dao. When artists and others use their inspiration to undertake creative efforts, they forego the opportunity to cultivate the Dao. Their inner light only flashes momentarily, and thus it does not become a source of nourishment for their minds.
It is not only poets, artists, and scientists who have such experiences from time to time—all people do. Imagine one morning you awaken and the weather is perfect, like it is in Hong Kong in January, or springtime in northern China, when the warmth of the season coaxes the flowers into bloom. A gentle wind lightly brushes past you as you get out of bed, and your mind is totally free of any errant thoughts or fantasies. Your mood is already good, and you suddenly feel a sort of deep joy well up from within. At this moment, your later heaven self temporarily subsides and the prior heaven state appears to you. Yet, in a flash it is gone without you even realizing what it was. Before you know it, you are already thinking about what you need to do today, and soon enough all of the rest of your worldly affairs enter your mind. Just like this, you miss out on the mysterious pass.
Because the mysterious pass is incredibly subtle, we must be always alert to the states of our own minds, constantly observing our thoughts’ vacillations between delusion and awakening. We cannot slack off. We have to be persistent, always mindfully nurturing our marvelous, empty-yet-sentient essence. It is this which is the essence of our minds; it is this which is our true nature. If we persevere, we will gradually make progress. With progress, the mysterious pass will appear more and more frequently, and our opportunities to enter it will become more and more numerous.
҉
Huang Yuanji goes on to explain that the mysterious pass is the primer for practicing Daoist internal alchemy. As though it were an electric outlet that gives electricity the moment one plugs into it, its appearance presents an extremely crucial opportunity. But Huang stresses that we must not limit ourselves to searching for the mysterious pass within very advanced stages of samadhi and tranquility. Rather, we should try and experience it in our daily lives. Doing so is a bit like the Confucian saying that Huang Yuanji borrows, “I wish for benevolence, and here benevolence is.” When Confucius said this, he meant that the state of being a person who acts benevolently is never far away from any of us. Rather, as soon as we contemplate being benevolent, then within the span of time it takes to have that thought, benevolence comes to us.
Confucianism has another saying, “without leaving everyday human relations, I travel directly to the time before prior heaven was drawn.” Because the Dao is not distinct from daily life, within mundane living we can directly arrive at the prior heaven state that is like an untouched canvass. If we conclude that the Dao can only be found by cultivating in a deep state of tranquility or samadhi, then there will be no way for the Dao to be expressed in and merge into oneness with our daily lives. Moreover, even if we can reach highly advanced states when we sit in meditation, so long as we are still susceptible to plunging back into mental chaos during the rest of our daily activities, then our cultivation is unreliable. The time we can spend meditating is, after all, limited. Far more of our time must be spent experiencing life.
After Huang Yuanji quotes Confucius, he describes “heavenly primordial oneness qi’s original face.” The original face of heavenly primordial oneness qi can be experienced in our daily lives, as well as in states of tranquility and concentration, when we are unknowing and unperceptive, not thinking of what is to come nor what has passed, our minds simply quiescent in the here and now. Although, at such times, our minds are empty of thoughts, within this tranquility there remains...
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Quick update--
I've been busy reworking some of the early chapters of this translation, which I started in 2017. Between then and now I've completed the coursework and thesis research for an MA in Chinese literature at National Taiwan University (which has required more hours of reading Daoist and Buddhist texts than I care to count), translated three other books, published two pieces of writing in Chinese, translated several modern Taiwanese short stories and numerous pieces of classical Chinese poetry into English, and generally gotten a lot better at what I do. The first three chapters need a lot of work, but I'm about 2/3 of the way through, and I'm pleased to see that I'm now a much better translator than I was four years ago, even if cleaning up my old messes is taking forever.
I also recently went back and translated Ge Guolong's short introduction to the book, which I'll paste below. Thanks once more to everybody whose help has kept this project slowly chugging along.
Introduction
Daoism’s classic texts are extremely numerous. With so many other ancient writings to choose from, why base a book on discussions of ten chapters from Huang Yuanji’s Oral Record from the Hall of Joyous Teaching? I chose to do so because, both in terms of its contents and its manner of presentation, Huang Yuanji’s book is highly unique. The reasons I believe this deserve a brief explanation.
The classic writings of Daoism can be divided into numerous categories. One of those categories is books created through planchette writing—these are books that were received through communication with the spiritual realm. Many internal alchemy writings dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties were transmitted from Ancestor Lü Dongbin in this way. Books of this sort were not penned by specific individuals, and rather came about through communication between people of this world and beings existing in formlessness. Sometimes their contents are not especially clear, and have a “stream of consciousness” quality to them.
Another category of books was written by ancient scholars who researched deeply into Daoism. Reading huge numbers of books, they became profoundly versed in the Daoist thought. Their knowledge allowed them to write “classics” of their own, as well as to write commentaries on various important texts. The books they wrote were strong on theory and presented ideas quite systematically. However, these writers did not necessarily go deeply into Daoist practice. Often, they were members of the literati whose intellectual cultivation allowed them to write eloquently about things they had not in fact directly experienced. These scholastic commentators on the Dao are sometimes likened to people who write books on military strategy without having experienced combat.
A third category of Daoist books contain the words of highly accomplished Daoist adepts—some were written by these masters themselves, and others by people who collected their sayings. The knowledge presented in these books comes from people who personally experienced Daoist practice, instead of those who thought about or imagined it. Moreover, compared with the aforementioned books that came about by using planchette writing to communicate with the heavenly realms, these books come across as more down to earth. They can serve as guides for actual practice. In my opinion, their ability to assist readers with their cultivation makes them incredibly valuable.
Yet another category of Daoist books consists of books of poetry and verses written by earlier masters. Titles in this category include voluminous works of poetry by the ancestral founders of the Complete Reality school of Daoism, as well as Zhang Boduan’s Awakening to Reality. These writings are so full of coded symbols that one can study them for a very long time without gaining a clear idea of what they are meant to express. So much skill is required for one to be able to decipher these collections of verse that they sometimes feel aloof and vague.
The Oral Record from the Hall of Joyous Teaching happens to be a book with none of the shortcomings of the categories listed above. Its greatest merit lies in the fact that this book consists of transcripts of Huang Yuanji’s discourses, taken down by his disciples. From what they recorded, it is clear to see that Huang was not just an authentic Daoist cultivator, but one who had reached quite a high level of realization. Many of the most important classics from different religions were also records of oral teachings given by great masters. Because the words such books contain came from the mouths of accomplished adepts, their very existence is capable of lending power to those who encounter them. Moreover, because these teachers were actual practitioners, the words they spoke were based in real experience, not imagination or academic knowledge.
The Oral Record presents extremely profound information in a simple manner. Although its time period means that it was written in classical Chinese, Huang Yuanji was clearly teaching in the colloquial language of the day, yielding a text that is quite accessible and easy to understand. However, even though the book is written in a plain manner, there is nothing shallow about its contents. It contains teachings on the entire process of Daoist inner alchemy cultivation, ranging from building a foundation to the highest levels of practice. It also includes authentic explanations of fundamental theories as well as methods needed to actually start walking the path. In other words, this is a text that equally emphasizes both theory and practice.
Some books are heavily pitched towards theory, but they give little insight into how one should actually practice. Other books place a lot of emphasis on the particulars of practice, to the point that they are essentially step-by-step training manuals. Such manuals do not take the reader deeply into the principles upon which practice is based. It is crucial for those of us with an interest in internal alchemy to keep in mind that Daoism’s principles and its practices must be learned side by side in order for there to be any hope of success.
If one only has an idea of cultivation as a defined system of practices, but does not thoroughly understand the principles that inform cultivation, then one will practice as though blind, because one will have no idea where one is supposed to be going. Practice without a clear sense of destination becomes mechanical, and it will not allow one to enter into the higher stages. This is because is Daoist cultivation cannot be brought to fruition through mechanistic processes. What is required for real accomplishment is an elevated level of consciousness and self-awareness. Of course, if one merely nods along knowingly with the above warning, without engaging in any actual practice, then one will be just like the ancient literati who did nothing but probe into all kinds of theories. Filling one’s head with new things to think about will not bring one any closer to the path.
In terms of both theory and practical instructions, the teachings in the Oral Record are very comprehensive. The book reveals a wealth of critical cultivation instructions in an open, unguarded manner. These instructions were revealed in the context of the needs of the disciples Huang Yuanji was addressing when he taught, making them highly applicable in real situations.
Practices for World Peace
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Practices for World Peace
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Recent Advice for Generating Peace in the World
When the world is in trouble, it can feel very powerless and overwhelming to not know what we can do to actually help. IMI Sangha recently asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche for advice on prayers and practices they could do at this time. We are happy to share this valuable advice with you as well:
For those who can do, or sponsor at a monastery, please also do:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice for how to motivate and think when doing these prayers and practices:
At the beginning generate strong bodhicitta, then do these prayers and practices to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine. The main purpose is to stop the war immediately. Then also to prevent famine, disease, and all the dangers of earth, water, fire, and wind, for all these dangers to be pacified immediately. To fill the whole world with perfect peace and happiness, including enlightenment, and to generate loving kindness, compassion and bodhicitta in the heart of all sentient beings, especially in that of the President of Russia.
Think that from Guru Padmasambhava’s heart, beams radiate and totally purify all the six realms’ sentient beings, totally purify all the delusions and negative karmas collected from beginningless rebirths, especially anger, attachment, and ignorance; think that these are totally purified. Then recite Sampa Lhundrupma, followed by the Padmasambhava mantra (one or two malas).
With strong faith in Guru Padmasambhava and total reliance, Guru Padmasambhava will definitely help because his compassion embraces all sentient beings.
Then another way to think is, with strong faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the aspect or Guru Padmasambhava, nectar beams are emitted to the Russian President and enter his body, and totally purify all his negative karma and obscurations; all the dissatisfied mind, desire, ignorance, anger, and selfish mind are totally purified; he generates bodhicitta especially, and then the whole path to enlightenment. Do that very strongly, making strong prayers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Then nectar beams are also emitted to all the Russian and Ukrainian armies, and these purify all the anger and self-cherishing thought on both sides, but mainly President Putin’s. They generate bodhicitta, and stop giving harm to even one sentient being and only benefit sentient beings, up to enlightenment.
Then recite the Heart Sutra and the prayer to stop wars.
For those who can do the Most Secret Hayagriva sadhana, do this at the beginning of the practice. When reciting the mantra, you can do the same visualizations as above, and think President Putin’s mind is totally changed and he generates bodhicitta.
Source: Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition website, article Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Recent Advice for Generating Peace in the World.
My additional thoughts: Always believe that peace and harmony are possible! Never lose your heart even if times appear grim!