林愛偉

Hi Jim, Our school isn't a usual school. There are training grounds, but they are not in a formal center. We train outside in parks, mountain sides or at temples. Various times given the schedules we may have while living here. Cost of classes are on donation. The cost for travelling to different temples and eating are the student's responsibility. We do help one find a cheap hotel, under 15 U.S. dolars a night. The cheapest hotel I may find would be about 9 U.S. dollars. 3 meals a day can be eaten in my home. My students are scattered throughout China and Europe, America, and South East Asia right now. Some have already come to China and spent time here studying with me, some are corresponding through emails until they come to China, or until I go travelling to them...eventually. We have Chinese students and foreign students. Helping people find jobs is free. If you search the "off topic" section, you will find postings I left for teaching in China. Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

Reincarnation is what it is. Any differences from either Daoist or Buddhist ideas would just be some small extras or whatnot. It is that we never die, and we never live. There is only a form which results in the thoughts of their being a life, a personality, a being and an ego. Having new forms, reincarnating, is still due to one not able to end the cycle of birth and death. Unless one is a Buddha or a Bodhisattva, reincarnating is not a choice, but an inevitable outcome from past causes. Peace, Aiwei

Hi There, Where did this come from? Peace, Aiwei

Hi There, Sorry about my disappearance for abit...I wasn't ignoring anyone actually. I just haven't been following the thread.. he he he I have read a few posts about me.. haha honkey??? Funny I haven't referenced anything in my posts though Have fun.. this thread has become a replaying movie... Peace and Happiness, Aiwei haha what do you mean? Iron Goddess... ? Whats that.. Peace, Aiwei

Hi There, I saw on your website a poster of the 3 vinegar tasters...haha Who drew that poster? Peace, Aiwei

Nope. Master Guo Cheng Wu :-)

Enlightenment is something a god can attain, but hasn't. That is why they are a god. Enlightenment, complete pure enlightenment, is past the realm of a god and immortals. Peace, Aiwei

Taiji Quan without understanding why its called Taiji Quan will result in form practice...only "Quan", fist. There is a reason why its called Taiji Quan. Its not just a name of a fighting style, soft, slow, abrupt movements. If the teachers haven't said anything, they either do't know themselves, or are deciding not to teach too much too soon...or to certain people. There is Shenlong Taiji Quan Association in Taiwan led by Master Guo. Very skilled man, disciple of Grand Master Zheng Man Qing. Taiji Quan in and of itself is Qigong cultivation. If one is not told how to use it, it is only a fist form not Taiji Fist. Peace, Ai Wei

Every animal has characteristics of eachother. Since this is so, it is possible to say that every living being is every living being. They are all made from the same elements. Different compbinations manifest different bodies. These elements have certain qualities, and since humans can discriminate, they tend to associate to certain qualities, and attach to them. At that ppoint, they call them personalities, ego, being. Human bodies weren't evolved from monkeys. It is just that the elements that make up physical bodies are the same elements in this world system, universe. Physical make up is only the outcome. The manner, the cause for such a physical body to manifest is what it evolves from. Some animals have similar make up to others, some in more percentage than others. That doesn't mean that these bodies evolved from eachother. It means that the energetic resonance, the causes for those bodies manifestation were a result of other causes, and those causes and the vessel inwhich was created were a good match. Like drinking water. One used to drink from the hands, then moved to maybe a spoon like object, to a bowl, and now we have cups. The cup is most proper for the water doesn't spill out as easily as it does from a bowl, spoon andoone's hand. Peace, Aiwei

alcohol destroys the stomachlining, impairs spleen and liver functions. alcoholused in Chinese Medicine, is done so with a mixture of other herbs, therefore harmful sideeffects of the alcohol are cancelled out. just because Daoistsinthepast drank wine doesn'tmean it was good for them. Also, with thisin mind, they were obviously mixing it with herbs to tonify yang qi, dispell phlem(major qi blocker), and move the blood. Fun. Peace, Aiwei

Those realms areonly realms because the mind is too cluttered. They are not separate atall, and are present, for the sake of saying present, all the times(no time). We can only experience according to our karma. Cultivate certain causes, and one will attain the result. Just because one may walk "consciously" with other beings of no hard physical form, doesn't mean someone else can. Just because others cannot "consciously" walk with other beings, doesn't mean it is a figment of the imagination. One can only experience what they can accept. One can only accept if they have affinities with what is being accepted. Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

Don't read andeat at the same time...it harms the spleen and stomach energies. If there is no attachment to the multitasking, then there is no multi tasking. Don't multi task. Peace, Aiwei

There is no actual "monkey mind"and "monkey heart/soul" as he is saying. It is only called a monkey mind due to the dual thinking, and wandering thoughts. Duality only breeds duality. When thoughts loose momentum , they will slow, and vanish. That is when there is clarity, immortality, and further cultivation results in enlightenment. Mr. Winn is deep in dual realm and usual discrimination as well as misunderstanding in his views of cultivation. I read an article on him bashing Buddhism.. hahaha and his works on Daoism are no better. I know Daoist Priests who respect thoroughly the cultivation school of Buddhism, read Buddhist texts, and place Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on their temple alter because they are cultivators in general, and there is ultimate respect regardless of the manner one takes. What Mr. Winn says of Buddhism is not Buddhism. It is misunderstanding and ignorance, arrogance.His works on Daoism are only on surface cultivation and intellect. He has put many heads on top of his own. Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

The way to do that successfully is to awaken to non-dual nature. Peace and Happiness Aiwei

Greetings All, I have posted this article on my forum http://www.freewebs.com/jingxinyuan/jingxinyuanforum.htm In this discussion we will look at the expedient of religion in the Buddhist school of cultivation. In doing so,we must keep in mind that each person has their own idea of what makes a practice a religion. What we will hold in mind as the basis of this discussion is that most of the world sees Bowing, Chanting, Praying, a leader of some sort guiding "followers" along the means of practice, a place of practice, and actions of practice to all be pieces which make up a religion. Let's look at the expedient of religion in Buddhist cultivation. Buddhism is only named Buddhism as a focal point of reference to practices which cause a living being to reveal the Complete and True mind. To attain AnutturaSamyaksambhodi. Attain is only a word used to point out what was not present in mind before revealing the true nature. One does not attain. One only lessens what is in the mind, thus revealing the true nature. Now let's look at some of the practices of the expedient of religion in Buddhism, and we will describe its functions in cultivating the mind. For starter, we can look at bowing, and the use of statues. Bowing to anything is seen as a form of worship in the minds of today’s realm. But has anyone thought of it as a form of respect? In certain cultures around the world, nodding one’s head at an elder of the family, guest at the house, or even a manager or C.E.O. of a company is seen as a form of respect. Sometimes the lower the head is of the person bowing to is regarded as being very polite and respectful. In Buddhism bowing is done in several regards. One, bowing to an elder of the Sangha (community of left home cultivators and lay cultivators of the Buddhist school), is regarded as respectful to one’s elder in cultivation. Bowing the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, which some would be in forms of statues and various images, is regarded as a manner of respect for one’s elder of cultivation, and is a bowing towards one’s original mind. Bowing to one’s original mind is bowing to the Buddhas, which is basically dropping ego, personality, being and a life, and emptying all forms of discrimination and attachment. This is a cultivation of humility. There is no superiority in the Buddhist school, only recognition of one’s cultivation. Though there is no superiority, there is a manner in which cultivators know what they are not capable of. Those who have attained great wisdom are more capable than one who hasn’t, and thus would be respected according to their cultivation. So bowing isn’t a manner of worship, mindless worship, or hailing and praising in dependency of a higher being as in other religions. Bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is a cultivation method for developing a patient, compassionate, humble mind and character. Bowing to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is simply bowing to one’s own original mind. Though many cultivators who use this expedient may seek to depend while making offerings, and bowing to show they are being humble and should be rewarded, they are missing the point and being an example of what one shouldn’t cultivate in Buddhism. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas do offer their help, yet their help is to offer methods in which living beings can cultivate in order to live a more happier life and attain what they wish. This is not due to living being’s dependency, but it is due to patience, compassion and wisdom which is cultivated in its highest level through Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Offerings are another expedient practitioners cultivate. Offerings are in all manners of religions worldwide. Some offer money, food, clothing, housing, books, etc. The minds of people vary during these acts of offerings to whomever they offer up to. In Buddhism, offering food to the Sangha is to show respect for those who are cultivating ways one may not be cultivating. For example; the Sangha is made up of Left home people…monks and nuns. They have no money to buy things on their own, so they accept that living without the use of money is the biggest challenge for all humans, and so they do not work in society as lay people do. The Sangha of Buddhism is viewed as a community of cultivators whom will be, and may have already, attained enlightenment and will teach these ways to the lay community. Because of the many mannerisms of cultivation, they do not spend time working for companies, or businesses of any sort. The lay people of the Buddhist school support them in faith that when the monks and nuns have reached a high level of wisdom, they will teach those who have not left the home life. Also, because giving is a good thing to do, they give to those who are doing what the majority of this world cannot do. Cultivation towards awakening and teaching the cultivation of attaining enlightenment is not something which can be learned in an academic setting. Much of what cannot be left aside by the worldly mind must be left aside if high levels of cultivation are to be realized. Offerings that are of food to the statues on the alter are not made to the statues, but to the minds of those doing the offerings. Offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are offering up to one’s own original nature. It is further pushing the roots of the desire to attain enlightenment further down into the mind-ground, strengthening one’s faith in the teachings of that of Sakyamuni Buddha and the many Buddhas of the ten directions. Though living beings ask for things in return while making offerings, and sometimes receive them, it is not do to the offerings so much so as it is due to their proper time for receiving such things. YET, making great offerings to cultivators of the way will add momentum to the great things one is to be receiving anyway. If their intention on receiving some particular outcome is strong enough, with great faith that it will thus be the way they intend for it to be, it will certainly be received the way one has intended it to be. This is due to the sincerity (constant one minded concentration ) of the mind during offering. Things just do not turn around because of crying, bowing, and constantly asking for something. Things turn because of the sincerity of the mind, the momentum added to the karma during the concentration. Good things come from good causes, bad things come from bad causes. Giving always results in good effects, and not giving results in not receiving anything from others in times of need, or out of good gesture. We have covered only two aspects of the mannerisms of Buddhist religious cultivation. Let us continue at a later time on the next several methods of chanting, ceremony and prayer. For now, let our conversation begin, and in time we will conclude this area of discussion. Peace and Happiness. Amituofo. Lin Ai Wei

Very True. Move the Celestials. They want to know if one is humble, dedicated, dilligently cultivating. Only then will they appear and teach. They cannot be persuaded otherwise, because they do not seek anything for personal gain. One must show cultivation, or devotion to it. Then maybe. Peace, Aiwei

Congratulations Sean!!!! More postings from the other 800 members! Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

Clearing the Misconceptions part 2 Next we will look at several methods of cultivation in the Buddhist school of the religious expedient. They are Recitation of the Buddha’s name and Sutras, Chanting Mantras, Utilizing Prayer, and Ceremonial rites. We will begin with the recitation of the Buddha’s Name, for it is a quite lengthy explanation which will take eons to describe it in its full wonderful context, but here, we will just take a small look…which will be lengthy. Reciting the Buddha’s name is an expedient of cultivation that has been utilized in a religious setting, as perceived of by non-Buddhists and some Buddhists alike. Firstly, some of the main reasons for reciting the Buddha’s name is to always keep the Buddhas on one’s mind. Constantly in a mind of remembrance, yet not of a past tense, but of a present one. Always having the Buddhas on one’s mind, one will speak with a mind of a Buddha, be compassionate with the mannerisms of a Buddha, always be in a state of Patience as a Buddha, and be “merged” in the sea of pure Wisdom as a Buddha. Recitation of Amitabha Buddha's name in sincerity will also result in being born in his Land of Ultimate Bliss. More to be discussed on that later on. These qualities are cultivated all within Buddha name recitation. How so? Because all Buddhas of the Ten directions are these qualities when being expressed through the minds of living beings. When the mind is of peace, one will radiate peace. When the mind is of anger, one will radiate anger, and all who come into their presence will inherently detect anger. What is of the mind will be that which is experienced. Since we can always experience what is of the mind, why not cultivate to experience that which is good? There is more that comes with Buddha Name Recitation. Who’s name is being recited? Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land. The next few lines will be taken from Xuan Hua Shangren’s commentary on the meaning of Amitabha Buddha’s name because it is only wise to utilize a higher understanding when speaking of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Taken from a commentary on ‘The Buddha Speaks the Amitabha Sutra’ by Shifu Xuan Hua Shangren; “Amitabha, the next word in the title, is a Sanskrit word which means “limitless light.” Amitabha’s other name, Amitayus, means “limitless life.” “But,” you might ask, “the Sutra says that it has been ten kalpas since Amitabha realized Buddhahood. Ten kalpas is a definite length of time. Why do you speak of ‘limitless life’ and then measure it out in time?” Amitayus, “limitless life,” refers to his blessings and virtue “Limitless light” refers to his wisdom. His wisdom light is limitless and bright. Limitless life, limitless light. Not only are his blessings, virtues, and wisdom limitless but so are his spiritual powers, his eloquence, his attributes, and his teachings. There is no way to count them because they are infinite, nowhere present and nowhere absent. Where did the limitless come from? Mathematicians should know that the limitless comes from the one. One is many and many are one. A scholar once wrote a book and said, “Large numbers are written by starting with one and then employing many place holding zeros. Keep adding zeros until the space between heaven and earth is filled. When you have written all over your walls and covered your floors, can you determine the total? Couldn’t you still add another zero? Numbers are endless.” Amitabha Buddha’s life, wisdom, merit, virtue, and Way-power are all infinite and unbounded. If you want a big figure, go ahead and write columns of zeros. Knowing that there can be no definite total, the Buddha, who is the perfection of intelligence, just said, “Limitless and uncountable.” Mathematics can explain infinity, and scientists have sent men into space to study it, but having arrived in empty space, there’s still more empty space beyond. There’s no end to it. Numbers go on infinitely and in this way we can understand the vast expanse of Amitabha Buddha’s blessedness, his virtue, and his wisdom. Therefore he is called Amita. Both Amitabha and Shakyamuni Buddha were people who became Buddhas. They did not descend from the heavens or ascend from the depths of the earth. As people they cultivated the Dharma and now they are sages, people who have realized the result. According to the classification of Sutra titles, this Sutra is established by reference to a person, but not a person like us. He is a Buddha, one who has realized the result. We are living beings; we have not realized the result, but are cultivating the cause of Buddhahood. Once Buddhahood is realized, we will be sages. This sage’s name, Amitabha, is used to classify the title of the Sutra.” --end of quote-- Recitation further deepens one’s roots of the Buddhist school of cultivation in their minds, and builds momentum for when their seed ripens into a plant, and the plant brings forth the fruit of Bodhi (enlightenment). You can’t eat it though! Recitation keeps the mind in a one pointed focus. As from the above excerpt on the commentary on the Amitabha sutra, Amitbaha is us and we are Amitabha. Therefore, we are reciting our own mind, pushing away the accumulated knowledge, and transforming it from mundane thoughts, to less attached ones which make the mind lighter, and more resonant with the Buddha mind. We keep in mind that repeating a name over and over again brings the images and mind of such name. That is what happens in Buddha name recitation. Reciting one name over and over again reminds us of our true nature, and those qualities. The benefits are too vast to describe in full detail, and the mannerisms of doing so are not sufficient. But we can touch on the surface. In this expedient, one is putting faith in Amitabha and his virtue and wisdom as wellas in rebirth in Amitabha’s Buddha land called the Western Pure Land. If you want to know more about the Western Pure Land, you can find it by google searching Amitabha Sutra with commentary by Xuan Hua Shangren, possibly spelled Hsuan Hua Shangren. It is too much to go into in such a manner as this one. Just keep in mind that all lands are not lands, but are called lands for the sake of saying so, and Buddha Lands are actual places. All is of mind, and of no mind, and neither of the two. Recitation also keeps one’s mind in a proper posture so as not to be taken by emotions, desires, demons, etc. One can recite Amitabha Buddha’s name, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva’s name, or any of the endless amounts of Buddhas and Bodhisattva’s names as well. This will also create affinities with them. Reciting sutras have a similar function as reciting the Buddha’s name. Reciting Sutras is to plant the tools of attaining enlightenment deep into the mind-ground, to always remember the teachings, and set forth towards teaching others about them. Sutras are keys to awakening to our causes and conditions, to attain complete pure enlightenment. Constantly reciting them keeps the doors of Patience, Wisdom and Compassion wide open, and results in illuminating the mind. Remembering Sutras creates affinities with the Buddhas who spoke them, and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas the Sutras are concerned with. This results in various outcomes which are too numerous to list, but assist one greatly in their cultivation of the Buddha Dharma. Next we will discuss Mantra, Ceremony and Prayer cultivation. Peace and Happiness Lin Ai Wei

One isn't imposing the enlightenment of others by praying for it. It is just empowering the conditions that will allow them to see clearly. Enlightenment isn't something one should/can get. I am sure you know that a mind undefiled is the pure mind, the awakened mind. It just so happens that in the cultivation school of Buddhism it is described very clearly. Praying for the enlightenment of others is a nudging into a wise direction of living through one's conditions/mind. It isn't a depending on a higher being or source, buta catalystic means to empower another. Its like teaching a language. Many of the students don't want to be in the classroom, and since your the teacher, you have to find ways to gather their attention. Just because they are in the classroom doesn't give the teacher the power to make them learn, but the teacher can use methods to ensure that student takes a wiser approach of expressing his/her dislaike for the language sothe student doesn't disrupt the class. It is a means to mae one awaken to a wiser mind. Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

Such a great question! Daoists actually see what they can perceive of, beit immortals or Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Gods, Demons, Dragons, etc. There are myriad types of living beings out here. Buddhists are similar in that they are not limited by their doctrine, only because their teachings are not fixed, nor is it their teachings. For the sake of saying, they see any and all; Gods, Saints, Angels, Demons, Immortals, etc... On my part, there is respect to those who have done good in the past, helped living beings, and taught mannerisms in cultivation for the bettering of living beings. Wether it is Jesus in the mind at the moment, or Allah, other saints, immortals, etc. It doesn'tmatter because they have teaching which are really for the good of living beings, peace and harmonious living. Yet, some teachings can only go so far as to have people do good things, etc. There are teachings that help beings do much much more, and in turn can do more good than other teachings. Peace and Happiness Aiwei

The Dao does not move, for there is really no Dao. We just say there is for the sake of beings whos mind is moved by their own attachments. Do what you wish, just do not be moved by it. Do not be taken by it. To do nothing is to do just enough, effortlessly without attaching to the conditions and situations. When you smell something, to be taken by it is to move the mind to it... this smells bad, this smells good... from this, the mind begins to associate, daydream, andbrign the rest of the body into the mode for or against the smell. It is similar with the other senses. No desires does not mean nothing will get done. It means to have the most lightest need for worldly things. Peace and Happiness, Aiwei

Greetings All, I have updated my website. it is now Chinese and English. http://www.freewebs.com/jingxinyuan/index.htm Enjoy Peacen Aiwei