YMWong

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Everything posted by YMWong

  1. Iskote, chatting on a web forum is not teaching daoism. I was taught since the age of 14 and did not hear the word 'daoism' until I was maybe 17 or 18. So I did not know the name of what I was taught and neither I did care, and was explained things along the way only as I started to show signs of having embodied a certain 'theory' It is actually by all this much 'talking' about 'moving qi' etc. that modern day 'masters' trick so many gullibles ... YM
  2. One do not need to 'put things in perspective' as well as 'understanding what daoism is' - "who cares" ... IMHO - but simply practice what he is been taught and do what he is told to do Also, one does not need to be told "where it is leading" since he is walking the path by himself But I understand others might see things differently ... YM EDIT: btw, theory comes from practice and not the other way round Traditionally a teacher would 'explain' theory only when the student shows signs of having embodied it already. To teach theory before that only leads to 'dreaming' and it is a disturbance to practice
  3. No single source is comprehensive so one needs to find and read as many as possible to get a better picture, no ? YM
  4. To learn and practice daoism one does not necessarily have to know chinese, especially to start, as what one needs to be taught can and must be shown and copied only. Imagine learning how to paint or play an instrument, you start very much like that As one evolves in his practice some degree of verbal interaction is necessary so by the time one gets there - yes - a certain degree of chinese knowledge is mandatory However most people, even those who believes to be already high level, are often just scratching the surface so actually - considering the average time spent on practice - talking is really just a disturbance YM
  5. Zhao Mingwang, nephew of Chao (Zhao) Bichen, do not teach at 'qigong universities' but runs a private practice place in Beijing Few, if any, of those government connected (Universities, hospitals etc.) have skills or knowledge at a decent degree YM
  6. Hello Iskote, it seems you have found below that many info can be gathered from the web already. In any case, apart from having read tons of books and met various poeple, I know the nephew of Zhao (Chao) Bichen who lives in Beijing and strives to follow up in his grand-father footsteps YM
  7. While it is true that Chao Bichen, author of the original version of the "Taoist Yoga" book, was (also) a Longmen Pai descendant he actually studied various things and followed different taoist and buddhist masters. So his teachings were named after his sobriquet "Thousand Peaks" and his schools is referred as Qianfeng Xiantian Pai (Thousand Peaks Pre-Heaven School). It is obvious therefore that one can find huge differences between "Taoist Yoga" and Quanzhen. By the way, Longmen Pai and another six schools are OFFSHOT of the original Quanzhen School so they also differ from Quanzhen in many ways. Not all Daoist schools require their follower to get into full lotus and, as a matter of fact, for example some Maoshan derivatives utilize the kneeling position (which is still common in Japan where it got from ~Tang dynasty China). However, full lotus is BY FAR the most common requirement in many daoist schools and often actually mandatory to start learning YM

  8. David Verdesi

    YMWong replied to amacgregor's topic in General Discussion

    So SD can read chinese ? Or maybe a chinese person wrote an ENGLISH reply to a chinese article about a chinese master ? YM

  9. David Verdesi

    YMWong replied to amacgregor's topic in General Discussion

    If you look at DV's biography here http://ariom.ru/forum/p398098.html you will see that, of the various masters he claims to have studied with, curiously the only one that speaks of XSZ is WTJ. Considering then that, according to that pamphlet, WTJ taught in Rome since the early 90ies I think that it is highly possible he learned it there. For the rest of your considerations I believe it suffices to repack and re-brand any product to re-sell it at a better price. YM

  10. David Verdesi

    YMWong replied to amacgregor's topic in General Discussion

    Here is the brochure of Wang Ting Jun's seminar in DV's native Rome in 2005 where you can see how long it takes and how much it costs http://www.vietvodao-lazio.it/brochure%20pace.pdf Wang Ting Jun taught the whole set in two days, 3 hours a day (10:00-13:00) for 50 euro (40 actually for those from that association) YM PS: the brochure also explains that WTJ had been holding these seminars in Italy for 15 years (at the time of printing) so you can imagine how much did DV paid for the teachings and where he learned it

  11. David Verdesi

    YMWong replied to amacgregor's topic in General Discussion

    So I was told, but of course I have no way to know for sure YM

  12. David Verdesi

    YMWong replied to amacgregor's topic in General Discussion

    Abilities are not necessarily linked to any wisdom of course, and so are powers If so the likes of Hitler or Mao should have been enlightened beings Some time ago the police managed to shoot down this criminal in Indonesia (Sulawesi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHVHHvT96HU...feature=related who had been invulnerable to rounds and rounds of rifle pellets. Only after many were shot somebody told the police the criminal was protected by a talisman (a ring given by a daoist). They then managed to shoot and break the ring and finally killed the man YM PS: by the way, most stories of 'powers' felt by witness are fake (thou sometimes those who post them really trust and believe what "they have felt" ...)

  13. YMWong replied to YMWong's topic in General Discussion

  15. Andrew Lum/Patrick Moon contact

    YMWong replied to Maharasa's topic in General Discussion

    I find it funny, if not sad, that with so much information available nowaday people would still believe that a bunch of kung fu/lion dance people have anything to do with Daoism, just because they call themselves 'maoshan' What a pity YM

  16. Kunlun follow up poll

    YMWong replied to Yoda's topic in General Discussion

    LOL YM
  17. Just in case anybody is interested, the first issue is free and available for download http://www.martialstudies.com.hk/index.html Best YM

  18. The purpose of Full Lotus?

    YMWong replied to DaoChild's topic in General Discussion

    English of course: Daoist Modern: Innovation, Lay Practice, and the Community of Inner Alchemy in Republican Shanghai (Harvard East Asian Monographs) (Hardcover) by Xun Liu Xun Liu (Author) http://www.amazon.com/Daoist-Modern-Innova...0242&sr=8-1 YM

  19. Incredibly Old Man and his Secret :)

    YMWong replied to DaoChild's topic in General Discussion

    Not his real age, I have posted some more info on this thread http://rumsoakedfist.org/viewtopic.php?f=6...hilit=lu+zijian YM

  20. The purpose of Full Lotus?

    YMWong replied to DaoChild's topic in General Discussion

    Thank you WT ! And I highly recommend Prof. Liu Xun's work as it is one of the first to discuss Daoism in the modern era, and especially the life and works of the late Chen Yingning whose blend of modern and traditional values should be of inspiration to all of us. YM

  21. The purpose of Full Lotus?

    YMWong replied to DaoChild's topic in General Discussion

    There are many schools of thought. Here is one: "Chen [Yingning] advised that the key was to find a position that enabled one to persevere in the practice for a long time without agitation (naijiu budong wei miao 耐久不動為妙), For that reason, Chen considered the Buddhist cross-legged position (jiafu zuo 跏趺坐), which involved folding one leg atop the other, as ill suited to average pratictioners in quiet sitting practice, because prolonged practice in this position could be harmful." Daoist Modern by Liu Xun Harvard University Press 2009 YM
  22. Of course, but since we are talking about foreigners getting chinese citizenship (foreigners getting the local's fees) this doesn't work because to apply you have to show proof or cancellation of your original citizenship. Sure, I guess Miss Li is actually way more than enough for everybody ! And by the way, while a was quoting the law I personally am of the opinion that WLP and his group (just like anybody else) should be free of charging anything they feel fit. After all, even if the law prohibits to charge differently the locals and the foreigners I don't think it simply makes it mandatory to accept all students simply because they apply for a seminar no ? YM
  23. The average salary in Beijing is not half but about the same as the seminar cost, I am sure nowadays (2009) higher than the actual cost Beijing 2007 = RMB 39,867/year http://www.bjld.gov.cn/dzzw/xxcx/pjgz/ And by the way, most (if not all) chinese people make extra-income more or less (usually less) regular no matter what work/position they do (except those in the countryside working in the fields) so statistics have to be taken as a very low standard while actual income is usually higher. Moreover, family income has to be doubled since husband and wife both works usually. YM
  24. LOL Try to apply for chinese citizenship if you are not of (demostrable) chinese descent or if you are not married to a chinese and live in China and see what they reply hehe By the way, as I said, one has to renounce to his other citizenship to obtain the chinese one - so I am afriad very few would do that to get a discount at a daoist seminar In Canada for example, as well as in most european countries, one simply has to be born there to acquire citizenship, and most of these countries allows for double passport. By the way I have browsed the web for references and it would seems that the law I was speaking about was cancelled on 1994. The new regulation would specifically require that 涉外价格和收费标准，要按照同质同价、优质优价的原则制定。提供同一商品或服务，不得对不同的消费者，规定不同价格和收费标准。(http://www.chinaorg.cn/zcfg/zcfg/2007-12/20/content_5154358.htm) 'prices for foreigners and service fees must follow the same-quality same-price, same-discount same-price rule. For products and services it is forbidden to have different prices or different fees for different customers" so that would make such requests outlaw. I am not a law expert, however, so I am not sure that would apply to the case at hand YM
  25. I assure you that the policy I am talking about was a LAW, foreigners had a different price for internal flight tickets, hotel and everything. At the time foreigners were even forbidden to use 'chinese people money' and a special kind of currency had been created (waiwei quan) especially for them. They always ask you to provide a valid ID Card, of the kind that only chinese citizen can have (foreigners living in China have a different card), and without that you are a foreigner and subject to the higher price. Even been born in China does not give you citizenship, unless at least 50% of your blood is of chinese descent (and you cannot have an additional nationality). YM EDIT: funnily enough, a chinese living abroad and maybe making american money like any other american, would be charged chinese fees as long as he is still a chinese national. So how would you call that ?