Tozan

Yes, this is correct. The first Dhyana (Zen) Buddhist was Mahakasyapa, who signalled his understanding of the Buddha Shakyamuni's teaching by smiling when the Tathagata held up a flower. But Zen Buddhism's deep absorption of Taoist thought was more than cultural fusion. Zen teachers rely far less on words than others do. The Zen practice of "fixing the mind in its natural state" is as bafflingly (to many) simple as Lao Tzu's admonition to "just see." Many other Buddhist traditions also developed in China, ranging from the Tibet-born Kalachakra Tantra to the wonderful Tien Tai (Tendai) meditation of Ch'i (Shamatha) and Kuan (Vipashyana) to the Hua Yen (Jodo Shin) school emphasizing devotion to Buddha Amitabha. Taken altogether they offer something for every sort of seeker. I think the meditative Qigong taught by the I Yen school of Taoism is essentially the tantric practice taught in India as Candali ("inner fire") and in Tibet as gTummo. But the Qigong method is simple and practical, emphasizing caution in a step-by-step approach, whereas many tantric practices are like catching a tiger by the tail. Tozan

As Lin points out the Tao and the Buddha Shakyamuni's Dharma are very much akin. The Ch'an (Zen) schools in particular are thought to have resulted from a fusion of Buddhist and Taoist thought and practice. The famous Zen saying of Bodhidharma (Daruma) could easily have come from the Tao Te Ching. "A special transmission outside the scriptures No reliance on words or letters Direct pointing to the heart of humanity Seeing into one's own nature." Tozan

Hi Pandora, Mantak Chia is one of the living masters of the school I follow, the I Yen school. His series of books, "The International Healing Tao," provides sound teaching of the progressive stages of Qigong according to that School. The I Yen School also has a website: www.universal-tao.com Your account indicates that you went too far and too fast, perhaps, without adequate preparation. You were like a 110V appliance receiving 220V current! The advice given here by others is correct, in my opinion. Just take it easy and focus any bioenergy you feel into the Dan Tien center just below the navel. Clearly you have excellent natural ability to arouse and guide Qi energy. If you don't find an experienced teacher, Master Chia's books are the next best thing. But start at the beginning and learn the techniques so that you don't blow any circuits. There are free introductory lessons on the universal-tao website. With every good wish, Tozan

Greetings, Tao Bum savants! Looking forward to learning and perhaps contributing, as a practitioner of the meditative Tao (I Yen School) for 20 years.