YMWong

They had 24 hours a day like us, I think YM

Every person is certainly entitled to do as they wish. However, 2000 years of Daoist history in China show us that ALL famous masters if the past learned in their life from many, many masters, often from different lineages. Just take a look at the numerous hagiographies still available from the early days of Daoism down to the Qing dynasty and you will see that this is the standard. I personally would tend to follow in the past masters steps, but of course this is just me YM

LOL, how (sadly) true YM

It's 功德 in Chinese, the favorable response from Heaven after one makes a virtuous action If you read the popular 太上感应 which is also available in English it is explained quite well, it's basically the law of action and reaction YM

In fact it doesn't There are (other) books which are considered 'meritorious' for those who spread them, so in a way purchasing them and spreading their words can bring 'good karma'. Most commonly however people who can are required to support their printing and they are then distributed for free. But that is not the case with this or similar books, which are not really meant to be spread among people but are usually made for the initiates. The most common 'merit' book is for instance the likes of 太上感应, these are very simple 'what to do' books meant for the common population (peasants) that are supposed to generate a 'good' 善 society. It is true that some classics have a 'talismanic' power and simply owning them provide some sort of 'blessing', but again this is not the case of the mentioned books but more those real classics like the Dao De Jing. YM

LOL, I guess an introduction to a book that goes for sale can hardly say "you have just wasted your money, this book cannot be understood without a master" Moreover, the world is simply filled with people who believe they know this and that, who think they have understood: just browse this forum and you will see YM

Hello L1, while of course I agree with you re: time and will to practice, I have to say that it is NOT the information that is missing. Or not the key, anyway. The daoist canon has been openly reprinted a number of times, and it has been more or less easily available for hundreds of years - especially since its reprint in the 1920's anyway. Imagine then how many chinese were able to access it, if willing, and somehow also able to 'read it'. At the time they didn't have much 'entertainment and technology' yet ... and still ... few ever made it to practice and get any benefit. Why ? Simply because the information that one can get from a book, or a video from the internet, is USELESS for practical purposes. For that one needs a capable teacher willing to teach, first, and then time and will to put enough effort on the practice YM

All of those books and any other are good "for information only". Each one has bad flaws and each one has some good insights. Just read them "for information only", there is no need for 'structured steps' because there is not such a thing in daoism. You are looking for something you don't know with preconceived ideas of what it should be, so it's going to be hard to find it. You can get ideas and information from books, but no practical knowledge. Each school has its own steps and its own rules, some totally opposite to each other, get yourself a teacher and learn from him/her. YM

It is a vaste of time to translate the original unless one is really skilled with Chinese and is familiar with the proper terminology, much better (and way easier) to just translate the French version where much of the 'interpreting' has been done. That book is a work of a second generation scholar of the french school, quite dated in terms of daoist scholarship which has done huge steps in the last 20 years but still much much better then what any wannabe scholar (with all due respect) can do on this board. Moreover, any and all of these kinds of books cannot be properly (if at all) understood without the oral teaching from a daoist master. In this direction, it makes more sense to read any other study/research on the subject by any of the popular scholars which are now easily available all over the web and through Amazon. Just my opinion of course YM

The book has not only been reprinted many times, so that it is easily available in many forms in chinese, but it has even been translated (in french) many years ago by Farzeen Baldrian-Hussein http://books.google.com/books?id=4k4eqN32I0AC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false YM

Chinese God of Thunder (Lei Gong) YM

Funny "master" Mak is back with his daoist baseball http://www.youtube.com/user/Chiinnature#p/a/u/2/FoHd0lNWsvo LOL YM

No, Mak is the funny man family name Tin Si would be the honorific title, if the funny man would not have given it to himself like he did YM

This 'six great path of daoism' <sic> is another creature of Verdesi, as there is not such a thing YM

XSZ is only one of the MANY forms invented in China in the 80ies on the wave of the Qigong fever. It was invented by Pang Ming and started to spread through his seminars and lectures, he also published a book which describes the whole practice and its origins cover of which I have scanned for your reference Needless to say, Verdesi and many others have embroidered stories recently on many of these decent but very bland practices re-ingineering them commercially into superior 'daoist' <sic> practices They are not YM

Yuanshi Tianzun = upper dantian = green (blue-green) Lingbao Tianzun = center dantian = yellow (yellow-gold) Daode Tianzun = lower dantian = white (bright white) YM

The Three Pure Ones are envisioned both during ritual and meditation, and they are embodied as three vapours (green, yellow and white) in the three dantian. I think Prof. Saso touches the subject in both his "TOTMC" and "The Gold Pavillion" YM

For those interested I have posted a video and the first step of instructions of a Neigong set included in various martial curriculums, and popularized by late Xingyi master Bao Ting in the 1920s http://www.facebook.com/pages/Journal-of-Chinese-Martial-Studies/303546464693?v=wall#!/pages/Journal-of-Chinese-Martial-Studies/303546464693?v=wall Best YM

I don't know if there are any good teachers around for this set. I have seen a few in China, and Taiwan where the routine is also popular, but I have seldom seen any quality. The guy is in the video seems good, but I got that from a documentary so I don't know his identity. I don't think this material has been translated before, if there is enough interest I might consider doing some more from that same source (Bao's 1922 text). Best YM

Not at all ! 'Laowai' 老外 is a respectful way to address a foreigner in China, it means 'old (lao) foreigner (wai)' where 'old' is a sign or respect. 'Gwailo' 鬼佬 is a cantonese term used only in Guangdong/Guangxi and Hong Kong and it means 'ghost (gwai) man (lo)'. It has been in use in southern China since the massive arrival of foreigners, mainly european, during the 19th century. The northern version of 'gwailo' is 'yang guizi' 洋鬼子 (western ghost), which is however mainly used in northern China and seldom used to address directly foreigners. YM

TS, Prof. Saso's works are often mediated by his personal hands on experience and study with Daoist masters in China and Taiwan, nowhere he claims to present 'translations' of any text but 'interpretations' based on his studies and practice. From the "Gold Pavillion" I quote [Preface X]: [...] The Gold Pavillion classic, in the interpretation of traditional Taoist masters, teaches the method of emptying prayer in a manner that even the layperson and nonexpert can follow. The reader is introduced to the meditation is chapter 2 and 3. An interpretation of the Gold Pavillion classic is given in chapter 4. [...] This said, I guess Prof. Saso is a human being and can make mistakes like all of us. You should think about publishing your translation of the text, so that we all can learn from your extensive knowledge. Best regards YM

I am afraid I have to second Tianshi on this Being an excellent scholar is good to teach courses at school, but to teach practical daoism (daoist practices) one needs to have a different education and this is done by following one (or more) daoist teachers for a number of years Early one, only a few scholars went this path and got ordained (Saso and Schipper in the west, a few more in Japan) getting therefore the experience required. In the last few years some more scholars followed in but I am afraid Prof. Kohn is not one of those, unless I am mistaken and I'd like to be proven wrong YM

As the subject seems to be of interest, this is from one of WLP's lectures from the late 80ies. Maybe somebody with more free time than myself can start translating it This other is mainly for Ken, from another lecture by WLP on 1985, where he states that "crossed leg is Earth, half lotus is Man, full lotus is Heaven". Best YM

Please simply die when their alloted span is ended, you'll see plenty of heavy smokers living to their 100's and healthy-living dudes passing in their primes. Don't get tangle into the eventual problem with his practice, which has nothing to do with that. RIP YM

Craig, you are totally entitled to think anything pleases you about me. When people put together a couple of qigong sets picked up here and there and label them "Kunlun" or "Leishandao" it dsoesn't fit my taste but, as long as people likes them, well ... it's all good ... But if one claims affiliation in a real sect then it's a different story, and 5ETao's stuff have NOTHING to do with Maoshan Shangqing. Ask him what generation does he belong to and what generation name does he hold, or ask him where and when he has been to China, Taiwan or the chinese world to know that "Maoshan Pai is gone forever" - so now who is being disrespectful ? Ciao YM