Weather Magick

[Nungali]

12 minutes ago, Rocky Lionmouth said:

Mmm, sliding along a staff when somebody offers you their fingers, such a thoughtful gift!

 

If a style does not teach how to grip a staff and keep your fingers safe you need to invent that skill quickly,

 

It seems that the 're enactor' in that vid didnt know how to do it .

 

And what you said is why I changed the hand grip on the first move of  our bo staff 3 from  ( something like Suishi no con dai   ?  ) , much to my 'instructors' annoyance   ... again I had to  give him my 'thoughtful gift '  

 

 

12 minutes ago, Rocky Lionmouth said:

 

its not very tricky and your hand strenght and suppleness will skyrocket.

 

Fencers beware, a staff can esily bounce off the spine of your blade, knock the nearest exposed joint to splinters and skip along to jab hard at your sensitive areas while your sword is still moving way off target. Especially single edge swords are at risk. Gim/jian are at risk of being whacked midblade and go wobbly if not outright bent. Go for a cross-fiber slice at the supporting forearms big muscles, that’ll teach your staff twirling opponent to break your knuckles...

 

 

I would like to expereimnet with countering that 

[Rocky Lionmouth]

5 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

 How come ? 

 

For those attacks I use the 'unpointy' end of the spear . usually .

 

 

Well, I don’t want to chip, break or bend my spear head or the area where it attaches to the stick, it’s the place where it’s most vulnerable.

 

Well, the stick end of the spear is precisely for that purpose, but it’s not always convenient to get that part deployed quickly enough.

 

[Rocky Lionmouth]

6 minutes ago, Nungali said:

 

I would like to expereimnet with countering that 

 

I highly recommend it! Do both sides and think of how a snare drum player rolls a rat-a-tat phrase, apply to a diagonal downward sweep or slightly upturned thrust. A straight jian/gim or rapier style sword could apply this with finesse using hilt-half spine and woodpecking choice points on the opponent i think, havent tried! 

Countering the staff hinges a little on the staff player being slow in pursuing, closing and pummeling the swordplayer relentlessly. In that case they need to be charged at least one finger for that mistake, like ”Oi! This is a sword remember?!”

 

I havent tried a sword counter-counter, good idea! Lemme know what you find?

[steve]

1 hour ago, Rocky Lionmouth said:

Staffwork forms have all sorts of application. What little Okinawa staff i’ve seen i think is staff v staff or staff v stick, developable to extend as staff v spear, short cudgel/bat/hammer or even sabre but i couldn’t for the life of me guess correctly at how the teaching plan looks since i haven’t studied it.

 

South chinese staff comes in different shapes and forms but often begins at staff v staff since it gives both practicioners fair training of both offensive and defensive concepts and applications besides power and technique.

After you can start to shift the weapons around but staff is a practical starting point to illustrate incoming power also, its vectors being visible and fairly uncomplex, it can also be a very educational weapon for exploring bouncing force, short power and tactical positioning. 

For me the fun ends with staff vs double short weapons or single long or short soft weapons, thats gets scary really fast for whoever brought the staff

But same weapon paired forms are great for exposing strong points and weak points of the style also, things have a tendency to come alive especially with staff v staff training.

 

 

I’d say both yes and no imo.

Staff has a myriad more possibilities and the advantage of evenly distributed weight and shape, spear applications are all performable with a staff but not the opposite. You cant safely knock the ground with the spearpoint more than once, but a staff threatening to crack your toes and metacarpals will have anyone retreating fast out of common sense

Battlefield spearwork is fairly unimaginative since it relies on group tactics, you cant do very much variation if you’re a spear solider or a pikeman. Job has goals and targets and when it comes to one on one soldiers were more likely to resort to swords or knives for dispensing with closing enemies.

 

All the spinning and twisting and ”fancy stuff” is morepplicable as self defense against ambush or chaotic skirmishing with multiple attackers, if not control exercises and concepts/tactics to remember.

 

My fave is close quarters staff vs staff in tigth spaces, thats intense and fast, also fun!

 

I didn’t mean to sound comprehensive, just referring to a few Chinese forms I know - wing chun, taijiquan. tian shan pai.

Our xingyi and bagua are more close quarters. Several leg lifts in our bagua staff.

Edited February 17, 2020 by steve

[Rocky Lionmouth]

Just now, steve said:

 

I didn’t mean to sound comprehensive, just referring to a few Chinese forms I know - wing chun, taijiquan. tian shan pai.

Xingyi and bagua are more close quarters. Several leg lifts in our bagua staff.

 

Neither did i, sorry, i just jumped at the opportunity to talk about this very exciting subject 😁

[steve]

Just now, Rocky Lionmouth said:

 

Neither did i, sorry, i just jumped at the opportunity to talk about this very exciting subject 😁

I’m not as enthusiastic as I once was but I get the excitement.

[Rocky Lionmouth]

We’ll i’m prone to geeking out about these things.

[steve]

My knuckle buster was a shorinjiryu sai v bo form.

Knuckle slicer was wing chun staff v bart jam dao form.

Good stuff!

[Nungali]

1 hour ago, Rocky Lionmouth said:

 

I highly recommend it! Do both sides and think of how a snare drum player rolls a rat-a-tat phrase, apply to a diagonal downward sweep or slightly upturned thrust. A straight jian/gim or rapier style sword could apply this with finesse using hilt-half spine and woodpecking choice points on the opponent i think, havent tried! 

Countering the staff hinges a little on the staff player being slow in pursuing, closing and pummeling the swordplayer relentlessly. In that case they need to be charged at least one finger for that mistake, like ”Oi! This is a sword remember?!”

 

I havent tried a sword counter-counter, good idea! Lemme know what you find?

 

(oh well, I'll keep going , I just got driven back inside  off the ride on mower by a thunderstorm   ....   thats my weather magic ... go to mow lawn - it rains . )

 

Well,    first off , I didnt mention it  but I thought it obvious   ... I wait for a  sword attack first ,

 

if it was a ' cross-fiber slice at the supporting forearms big muscles'  or something else  'similar'  ( ie. 'opportunistic')   THEN I   hit / 'block'  not the blade but the hand or wrist of the swords man .    ( I developed my own  '20 jo'  form  ... this time with a jo, against sword  that we now practice ,    several of these types of move are in it )  .... its  like  'intercepting fist'  - same with the machete  or even a small knife against a machete  offered me the perfect demo opportunity :

 

Before  training , I put one of my wooden machete down my pants at the back .  A few of the guys are standing around talking, one is playing with  a small wooden  knife  - about the size of tanto .  I say ' Oh good knife practice .'    He grins and  " Okay then. " and advances on me with the knife . I draw the machete and he  ' Whoa ! "  and backs off amidst others comments like  " Thats not a knife THIS is a knife . "   and I  " What , this ? You are worried about this ? " I offer the machete to the other and put my hand out to take his little knife , we swap .  

 

He slashes at me  with a ' number 2'  ... ummm    a 'cross slash ' at 45 deg,   aiming for neck or anything  .  I move  off line to his inside entering  while 'crossing wings '   (our system comes from white crane ) and getting inside the  attacking arc of the blade   , right knife hand under, left empty hand over , intercepting his blade with mine, at his wrist  , instantly cut down on the wrist

 

... to finish , 'open wings ' ;  as you do the knife travels under his arm and up it , the left hand slides down his arm to the cut wrist , twists and takes control of that arm ,  the knife continues  and cuts up under the arm through  the  join of  pectoral and deltoid , then down across the jugular and a thrust to finish  ... all nice and fluid and  'floppy' like   ( ie . 'relaxed' )   

 

As far as a sword counter counter goes  ..... hmmmm , I would have to attack first  .   I dont like that      We do have a few techniques where a staff  thrust meets an incoming attack thrust or cut , 'bounces off' it and straight into a target , deflecting the others weapon off  line . In fact the very first move of the first  ( beginner )  bo  form does that  ' Matsamura no gata' , straight on into the throat  - its quick and  dangerous to practice , so we do it off target to the side of the head in the air .  Bust most people that practice a corrupted form of this first do a down strike  ... then a thrust . It should be all one like the bottom trough a a wave surging in to meet the others staff, thrusting or descending   -   the version   against the down strike attack ( a number 1 ) is near impossible  to 'counter counter '   even when you know its coming  .   

 

- the same goes for sai . In one form you are supposing to be locking a staff, then push down and catch it between shaft and prong , twist your body and the staff attacker is disarmed .    Nope .   of course 'instructor' insisted thats what it was ... but it didnt work !  (If one was such a disrespectful student as not 'allow ' him to do it      )   . Then  ,applying principles  learnt  'across the board'  I  showed him this ; step in to meet the  attack and take the blow against the sai shafts where his hands are  , ie into the fingers , then squat down (as in the form) the prongs then go into the hands ... owwie !  , then its easy to rip the staff away as you turn ,  as   .....  well, by now his grip ,  is 'chi'   and   his balance are all 'disrupted '

 

(  and I gotta do it all without hurting no one  , no guards or pads either .... focus !    - thats why its good to go ballistic with 'rubberies' every so often  )

 

 

[Nungali]

Hey guys, sorry for being so off topic here , but at least we are not  fighting or being violent   

 

 

  

[Nungali]

1 hour ago, steve said:

My knuckle buster was a shorinjiryu sai v bo form.

Knuckle slicer was wing chun staff v bart jam dao form.

Good stuff!

 

 I keep these in my  training bag  for such demos   

 

 

 

Motocross gloves  

 

[Walker]

10 hours ago, Lord Josh Allen said:

Hi, there's a lot to get through here but I'll do my best. I'm not opposed to Earthly teachers, I've just never encountered any that I could learn with because my interests are obscure and niche.

 

Have you looked? I don't mean just online--have you sought such people out in person? 

 

Wandering has always been an integral part of the Daoist path, necessitated by the simple fact that few if any people are so lucky as to live next door to a master who can teach every last thing that the student needs to know.  

 

One of the meanings of the term 方士, for example (a word which is usually associated with "red hat" masters of magical skills) refers to the wandering seeker of Daoist teachings, with "方" in this context referring to the many directions of the compass, and the wanderer's willingness to exhaust all of them in order to find masters who can give him or her authentic instructions. If you are learning Chinese maybe you could try translating the definition in that link. 

 

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As soon as the right one comes along, I'll act accordingly. That being said, I do consider myself a student of Kongming (Zhuge Liang) and I have had a close relationship with him since 2007. In all the years that he has been a part of my life, I've never felt mislead, misguided or harmed by his teachings.

 

So far, so good.

 

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I have certainly felt uncomfortable and apprehensive but in hindsight, I now see that as the essential growth period needed to move onto the next stage of my spiritual journey, and I believe growing pains are necessary.

 

I see. 

 

So, did the being you speak to tell you that you are a Daoist and tell you to call yourself one?

 

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I don't have a cult or a sect, I run fan sites for Zhuge Liang. People forget that Kongming was more than just an Occultist, he was a writer, an inventor, a diplomat, an engineer, a general, a strategist. I cover ALL avenues of his work from top to bottom. I have viewers who don't believe in the supernatural but seek to learn from Kongming's "Mastering The Art of War" book, I analyze his battle tactics on my YouTube channel from a historical point of view with no mysticism involved. Lots of Western entrepreneurs use his teachings for business today. To call it a cult is extreme because it implies there is an organization or a hierarchy of power, there isn't, its simply admiring the man's legacy, ensuring that it does not fade into obscurity. I'm not even an important piece of the puzzle, before me, there were those who loved him, after me, there will be loads more. My only hope is that I can spread that love. I help Westerners understand who Kongming is, I teach his history and his folklore, I don't profit or gain anything from it but the satisfaction of knowing I am doing what he expects of me.

 

Perhaps the word "cult" is extreme, but again, I use it in the neutral sense given what little I know of you. 

 

But I disagree that this is so plain as "simply admiring the man's legacy, ensuring that it does not fade into obscurity." One could easily create videos, articles, websites, and so forth about Zhuge Liang without publicly declaring oneself to be a "chosen one" of sorts who has been singled out to be directed through life and taught by this long-dead-but-amazing man. Not only do you present a story in which you are a/the chosen one of this spirit, you also talk effusively and extensively about how this relationship has resulted in you having magical powers--specifically, the power to control weather. 

 

In fact, to anybody who accepts your story at face value and gets involved with what you are doing, "hierarchy of power" exists de facto, and your stories and videos that place you at the center of the story and place your magic powers upon a pedestal of sorts serve to reinforce this hierarchy.

 

Of course, just because something exists de facto does not mean all or even most people will notice it...

 

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Our deal back in 2007 was just that. He would teach me and guide me, in return I would spread his name to everyone I would come across.

 

It seems that a deal was sealed.

 

@Zhongyongdaoist, what do the teachings you have received say about deals of this kind? I have been warned extremely sternly by Daoists about making deals with disembodied voices.

 

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I was hospitalized in 2018 with a life threatening illness, I was potentially looking at the end of my journey, so I spent time telling all of the doctors, nurses, and staff about Kongming, they were fascinated. Kongming means more to me than Taoism does. If Taoism does not accept me, that does not bother me. I don't look for acceptance from Taoists.

 

Then why do you call yourself a Daoist?

 

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I am learning Chinese because of him, I'm learning to play the Guqin, I carry a feather fan, I have memorized all of his written work. I cannot prove that I am speaking to Kongming, I cannot provide any evidence to the claim but I'm comfortable knowing that I'm correct. You can choose to believe me or not, it doesn't change my experience, I am not a believer, I am a knower. No disrespect to anyone on this forum but Zhuge Liang has achieved more than anyone on this entire website combined. Nobody will remember who we are almost two thousand years in the future, Kongming is eternal.

 

Great worldly accomplishments (up to and including tremendous magic powers) and being remembered for a long time are not synonymous with achievement Daoism.

 

If we take it on face value that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical document (which I do not believe anybody in China does--it is always referred to as a 小説/xiaoshuo, or novel), we still do not know whether or not he became 仙. And even if he did, we do not know if what is talking to you is indeed Zhuge Liang, and not something else. 

 

You also seem not to be aware that countless texts and countless living teachers make a very clear distinction between actually cultivating Dao and the cultivation of 術/shu or "techniques," which include weather magic. Indeed, some Daoists learn shu on purpose, some develop them as a natural side effect of cultivating Dao, and many start out aspiring to be Daoists and instead end up forgetting about the Dao and getting lost in the colorful and distracting world of shu. If you ever take it upon yourself to seek out living Daoist masters, you will probably hear discussion of the difference between 道 and 術 sooner than later. This stuff is fundamental, indispensable, and constantly hammered home. 

 

Finally, being remembered for thousands of years is not only not a marker of achievement in Daoism, quite to the contrary, many Daoists opt for obscurity. This spirit is often expressed using the term "不留痕跡." One teacher of mine refuses to even be photographed, does not allow his students to thank him even in the acknowledgment sections of books, has no website or ads, dresses like a boring uncle, etc. 

 

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I enjoy learning from others, I respect all of your knowledge, you obviously have priceless wisdom that has been obtained over many years, I appreciate it, I like to listen and absorb some of it but in my eyes, Kongmings word is final. As for the Rabbi neighbour Lol, welcome to the crazy world that I live in. I'm on BALG (Become A Living God Forum) A place for Western Left-Hand Path Occultists. I hear all kinds of stories that make mine seem tame, I'm desensitized to all of it at this point.

 

I also hear all kinds of stories (and have personally witnessed or lived through a fair amount of them), and indeed yours is fairly par for the course.

 

When I brought up the rabbi in my analogy, my point was not about the far-out-ness of such a possibility.

 

My point was that no matter how great the long-dead Israeli spirit this hypothetical fellow talks to, his experience would not change the fact that becoming a Jewish rabbi in the human realm still requires passing through many steps of initiation that must be orchestrated by living human beings in the Jewish tradition.

 

Daoism is much the same. You can't just wake up one day and say you are a Daoist in the same way you can wake up one day and decide to declare faith in the Five Pillars of Islam. 

 

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I don't disbelieve what people tell me because I've had my fair share of paranormal experiences, if you told me that you heard a voice, I wouldn't consider you delusional or crazy or lying, I'd take it at face value because I've been there, I can relate. I read the books because I'm guided to read them, I then use the knowledge in the books out in the field, if it works then I consider it a success and yes it does work. Am I gifted? I don't think so but I am dedicated. I don't play with magick, I am very careful and considerate. I constantly provide warnings in the intros of my videos. As you say, why would Kongming's spirit need me? You've got it backwards, I need him!

 

Then why did you have to make the deal that you described above? You wrote: "He would teach me and guide me, in return I would spread his name to everyone I would come across."

 

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As I mentioned in my video, life before him was grim, after having the door opened it became bliss. I feel happy and free, in that regard, I am extremely blessed.

 

I am glad you feel happy and free after a period of grimness.

 

But,

 

Be cautious of bliss. I suggest you read Freeform's posts. You can find them easily in Google by pasting the following into the search bar:

 

site:www.thedaobums.com "freeform" "bliss"

 

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As for the cultural appropriation, this is the first time anyone has ever said this to me. I'm friends with a lot of Chinese Three Kingdoms historians, they love it. I've had no complaints from them with the way I dress. You can't please everyone! Take care. 

 

I am not talking about historians and other sinophiles. I am talking about actual Daoists, and I am less focused upon your clothing than your claim to be a Daoist. I think you can understand how Jews would call it "appropriation" if you said that you were a rabbi, right? Historians of Israeli history might be amused by the hypothetical "rabbi" I keep mentioning, but actual Jewish rabbis? What do you think? 

 

Since we're on the topic, as to your clothing, there is one photo you posted in this thread where you adorn your head with what appears similar to a Zhengyi daozhang's lotus crown. Is that what that is meant to be? Please note that that is something that is only to be worn by daozhang who have risen to this rank after undergoing long apprenticeship as daoshi. It is only worn at certain points during specific rituals.

Edited February 17, 2020 by Walker

[freeform]

4 hours ago, Walker said:

Have you looked? I don't mean just online--have you sought such people out in person? 

 

Wandering has always been an integral part of the Daoist path, necessitated by the simple fact that few if any people are so lucky as to live next door to a master who can teach every last thing that the student needs to know.

That’s certainly where my ‘new Jaguar’ money would be going...

 

4 hours ago, Walker said:

many Daoists opt for obscurity. This spirit is often expressed using the term "不留痕跡." One teacher of mine refuses to even be photographed, does not allow his students to thank him even in the acknowledgment sections of books, has no website or ads, dresses like a boring uncle, etc. 

Most of my teachers have followed this example. Including refusing any ‘grandmaster’ type titles - even shifu was too much for most...

 

Although I’ve also had a teacher with a slightly more flamboyant nature - he liked to dress up... but rather than ‘spiritual garb’ - it usually manifested in wonderfully obscure ways - this very Chinese-Vietnamese teacher absolutely loved the 80’s Texan-cowboy-turned-oil-tycoon look - with hilarious results, obviously - the hilarity was not lost on him either...

[Walker]

3 hours ago, freeform said:

That’s certainly where my ‘new Jaguar’ money would be going...

 

Aye, indeed, a man so willing could sustain a life of seeking the Dao for quite some time if he sold his Jaguar. 

 

And, and...What was it he said? Ah yes.

 

"We haven't even touched on the Lexus yet!"

 

Thaaat was it. 

 

Quote

Although I’ve also had a teacher with a slightly more flamboyant nature - he liked to dress up... but rather than ‘spiritual garb’ - it usually manifested in wonderfully obscure ways - this very Chinese-Vietnamese teacher absolutely loved the 80’s Texan-cowboy-turned-oil-tycoon look - with hilarious results, obviously - the hilarity was not lost on him either...

 

Awesome. 

[Earl Grey]

4 hours ago, freeform said:

That’s certainly where my ‘new Jaguar’ money would be going...

 

Most of my teachers have followed this example. Including refusing any ‘grandmaster’ type titles - even shifu was too much for most...

 

Although I’ve also had a teacher with a slightly more flamboyant nature - he liked to dress up... but rather than ‘spiritual garb’ - it usually manifested in wonderfully obscure ways - this very Chinese-Vietnamese teacher absolutely loved the 80’s Texan-cowboy-turned-oil-tycoon look - with hilarious results, obviously - the hilarity was not lost on him either...

 

1 hour ago, Walker said:

 

Aye, indeed, a man so willing could sustain a life of seeking the Dao for quite some time if he sold his Jaguar. 

 

And, and...What was it he said? Ah yes.

 

"We haven't even touched on the Lexus yet!"

 

Thaaat was it. 

 

 

Awesome. 

Maybe I’ll share one day how one of my Sifus used gangsta rap to share insight on Tao and parallels.

[Sebastian]

13 minutes ago, Earl Grey said:

Maybe I’ll share one day how one of my Sifus used gangsta rap to share insight on Tao and parallels

Nah..... This guy is way ahead of you guys

 

 

[flowing hands]

15 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

Thanks .

 

That was about the only thing I could come up with , the move in question ;  the 'offensive' end of the staff (considering the next move ) is low near the ground , you step through and sweep strongly upwards  and the stepping through leg rises .  The move does feel very different if done without lifting the leg  -  the staff does not  appear to have as much ..... 'sweepy upwards momentum and force ' . 

 

{ in two other moves , one the leg comes up as the staff deflects a  strong downwards strike ,  you are trying to stomp on the end of the others staff  to disrupt their movement .  In the other it is against a thrust to the foot , the leg is lifted and foot moved out the way as a retracting movement of the staff knocks the thrust aside  and sets up for a counter thrust back with the other end .  }

 

Also ( while we on the subject )   I notice many  'Chinese ' staff forms are VERY differently executed  to the way they are in Okinawa . I believe this is Okinawan forms where developed from an original need  for self defence , mostly in a one on one situation, not ever having an 'army' of invasion or resistance ) . And the Chinese forms , or whatever it was you where doing  , with jumping , wide flailing and  circular movements , leaping while striking etc . developed more in a battle situation / multiple opponents  ... a 'melee '  so to speak .

 

Do you think that's a right  analysis ?

 

( I should also add that my  own forms within this  are a bit different from the usual as well .... even people in my style seem to do them staid and rigid , not flowing . I focus more on  applications - breaking them up and actually practising and fighting with the techniques  { staff Vs staff or other weapons } to analyse them  ....  it seems they practice fighting  'with the air '  too much and lack the spark of conflict which brings 'illumination'  .  . .   and   { while I am bitchin    }  , too much forward attention , not 360 deg awareness - which the  Chinese forms seem to have more of . )

 

Yes most ancient Chinese forms were focused on battlefield craft and when studying a weapon for instance like a sword, one has to be able to use both arms in the same way..... if your right arm is injured you then must use the left. The form I am practicing in the vid is the Monkey God's cudgel form. There are three forms and all are quite acrobatic and long. The cudgel I'm using is quite heavy, being made out of a very strong hardwood and about 45mm in diameter. In the training we learn to use a stainless steel cudgel weighing about 40-50lbs, and do the forms with this. My one I used to practice with, is a scaffold pipe filled with lead. There is a great difference between cudgel and staff techniques and then spear. With a heavy and unbending cudgel, force and movement must be generated by technique and 'Jin'. Spear neads flexibility and really only one end is usually employed. Staff is thinner and longer and has some flex in it, comparatively.

[Earl Grey]

38 minutes ago, Sebastian said:

Nah..... This guy is way ahead of you guys

 

 

Ha ha, nah, they were rapping early 2000s and I can’t post them here right now because it’s a bit controversial since they were hilarious and explicit while referencing everything from Biggie to 2pac.

[liminal_luke]

For better or worse, in many communities a Daoist is anyone who proclaims themselves to be one.  Usually what happens is someone reads a book or two, feels an affinity for the philosophy, and voila.  Traditionalists may quake but ya can´t fight it.  The who-is-a-Jew question is not any less murky, btw.  Orthodox Jews are loathe to accept the jewishness of Reform converts.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by liminal_luke

[steve]

10 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

The who-is-a-Jew question is not any less murky, btw.  Orthodox Jews are loathe to accept the Jewishness of Reform converts.  

Or even that of non-orthodox, non- converts...

[liminal_luke]

5 minutes ago, steve said:

Or even that of non-orthodox, non- converts...

 

I think that real identity -- Daoist, Jewish, whathaveyou -- transcends prescriptive conventional boundaries. It´s a matter of soul.  Otherwise, what´s the point? 

[Lord Josh Allen]

10 hours ago, Walker said:

 

Have you looked? I don't mean just online--have you sought such people out in person? 

 

Wandering has always been an integral part of the Daoist path, necessitated by the simple fact that few if any people are so lucky as to live next door to a master who can teach every last thing that the student needs to know.  

 

One of the meanings of the term 方士, for example (a word which is usually associated with "red hat" masters of magical skills) refers to the wandering seeker of Daoist teachings, with "方" in this context referring to the many directions of the compass, and the wanderer's willingness to exhaust all of them in order to find masters who can give him or her authentic instructions. If you are learning Chinese maybe you could try translating the definition in that link. 

 

 

So far, so good.

 

 

I see. 

 

So, did the being you speak to tell you that you are a Daoist and tell you to call yourself one?

 

 

Perhaps the word "cult" is extreme, but again, I use it in the neutral sense given what little I know of you. 

 

But I disagree that this is so plain as "simply admiring the man's legacy, ensuring that it does not fade into obscurity." One could easily create videos, articles, websites, and so forth about Zhuge Liang without publicly declaring oneself to be a "chosen one" of sorts who has been singled out to be directed through life and taught by this long-dead-but-amazing man. Not only do you present a story in which you are a/the chosen one of this spirit, you also talk effusively and extensively about how this relationship has resulted in you having magical powers--specifically, the power to control weather. 

 

In fact, to anybody who accepts your story at face value and gets involved with what you are doing, "hierarchy of power" exists de facto, and your stories and videos that place you at the center of the story and place your magic powers upon a pedestal of sorts serve to reinforce this hierarchy.

 

Of course, just because something exists de facto does not mean all or even most people will notice it...

 

 

It seems that a deal was sealed.

 

@Zhongyongdaoist, what do the teachings you have received say about deals of this kind? I have been warned extremely sternly by Daoists about making deals with disembodied voices.

 

 

Then why do you call yourself a Daoist?

 

 

Great worldly accomplishments (up to and including tremendous magic powers) and being remembered for a long time are not synonymous with achievement Daoism.

 

If we take it on face value that Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical document (which I do not believe anybody in China does--it is always referred to as a 小説/xiaoshuo, or novel), we still do not know whether or not he became 仙. And even if he did, we do not know if what is talking to you is indeed Zhuge Liang, and not something else. 

 

You also seem not to be aware that countless texts and countless living teachers make a very clear distinction between actually cultivating Dao and the cultivation of 術/shu or "techniques," which include weather magic. Indeed, some Daoists learn shu on purpose, some develop them as a natural side effect of cultivating Dao, and many start out aspiring to be Daoists and instead end up forgetting about the Dao and getting lost in the colorful and distracting world of shu. If you ever take it upon yourself to seek out living Daoist masters, you will probably hear discussion of the difference between 道 and 術 sooner than later. This stuff is fundamental, indispensable, and constantly hammered home. 

 

Finally, being remembered for thousands of years is not only not a marker of achievement in Daoism, quite to the contrary, many Daoists opt for obscurity. This spirit is often expressed using the term "不留痕跡." One teacher of mine refuses to even be photographed, does not allow his students to thank him even in the acknowledgment sections of books, has no website or ads, dresses like a boring uncle, etc. 

 

 

I also hear all kinds of stories (and have personally witnessed or lived through a fair amount of them), and indeed yours is fairly par for the course.

 

When I brought up the rabbi in my analogy, my point was not about the far-out-ness of such a possibility.

 

My point was that no matter how great the long-dead Israeli spirit this hypothetical fellow talks to, his experience would not change the fact that becoming a Jewish rabbi in the human realm still requires passing through many steps of initiation that must be orchestrated by living human beings in the Jewish tradition.

 

Daoism is much the same. You can't just wake up one day and say you are a Daoist in the same way you can wake up one day and decide to declare faith in the Five Pillars of Islam. 

 

 

Then why did you have to make the deal that you described above? You wrote: "He would teach me and guide me, in return I would spread his name to everyone I would come across."

 

 

I am glad you feel happy and free after a period of grimness.

 

But,

 

Be cautious of bliss. I suggest you read Freeform's posts. You can find them easily in Google by pasting the following into the search bar:

 

site:www.thedaobums.com "freeform" "bliss"

 

 

I am not talking about historians and other sinophiles. I am talking about actual Daoists, and I am less focused upon your clothing than your claim to be a Daoist. I think you can understand how Jews would call it "appropriation" if you said that you were a rabbi, right? Historians of Israeli history might be amused by the hypothetical "rabbi" I keep mentioning, but actual Jewish rabbis? What do you think? 

 

Since we're on the topic, as to your clothing, there is one photo you posted in this thread where you adorn your head with what appears similar to a Zhengyi daozhang's lotus crown. Is that what that is meant to be? Please note that that is something that is only to be worn by daozhang who have risen to this rank after undergoing long apprenticeship as daoshi. It is only worn at certain points during specific rituals.

Hi again! Where did I say I was the chosen one exactly? Could you link a video or a post where I said those words in regard to Taoism? Or are you saying I said that through implication? If so, that is only your interpretation of my words, it is not so. I think you are misunderstanding a lot of my videos. My relationship with Kongming did not grant me magical powers, it granted me the motivation and inspiration to seek out books to learn those magical skills. Inspiration is what is needed to find good information and engage in learning. Before my spiritual awakening, I didn't have any ambition or drive to pursue such things. I say time after time, I'm not talented, gifted or powerful but I am dedicated and motivated. Kongming gave me that fuel to begin my esoteric education. He didn't grant me anything but a desire and a hunger for spirituality. May I ask, where do you get your motivation? See my video here for when I say "I am NOT a Taoist Master, I am NOT a priest" Timestamp at 11:19 

 

Why would I need books, tools, robes and elaborate altars if I was "given" magical powers? I need those tools because, as I say in my video, "I'm not magically inclined" I wasn't born with extrasensory abilities, I wasn't a natural sorcerer from birth who could easily tap into the hidden realms. I had to LEARN and WORK on those things. Learning and working without inspiration is a drag, the impossible becomes easy when you feel inspired. I had to get it from somewhere, it came from Kongming. The deal we made was largely out of my control, I had blackouts as you know, I passed out and heard voices, I was placed in the situation whether I liked it or not and had little to no control over these out of body experiences. The deal had been done and I had to accept it and eventually grow to love it. Whilst we are on the subject, do you think I am the only one who speaks to him? Guess again. I've met hundreds of people over the years, from all cultures, backgrounds, and creeds, they have a connection to Kongming just as I do. Their relationship with him is just as legitimate as mine. Maybe they don't feel the weather magick connection but the voice is still present. What authority do I have over anyone else if they hear voices? Spirituality isn't a competition, we can have our experiences. We can all co-exist. 

 

It is inevitable one day that I will find a Master or a teacher who is willing to teach me about weather magick or Kongming. But right now, I'm honestly not looking, I feel fulfilled enough and my practices (internal Weathermancy) are working to a satisfactory level. Could it be better? Of course but its a work in progress, its a journey not a destination. I'm better now than I was last year, I'm happy with this steady progress. You might wonder, how do you know if it is working? Well, I judge it based on how I feel. Since most of my magick is internal and based on my emotional state, I analyze and log all of my experiences in my many grimoires. I've kept records for over a decade and have stacks of books, I re-read my old notes on a semi-regular basis. Progress is certainly being made. As for worldly achievements, I totally disagree. It is important for men to want to achieve greatness or at least attempt to. I'll give you an example of an ambitious Taoist. Zhang Jiao, a Taoist leader led a peasant uprising against the Han imperial throne, he has solidified himself in the history books as a Taoist man of action. Should you conform to the typical Taoist stereotype just because you are expected to? Absolutely not. 

 

 

I was instructed by Kongming to follow a Taoist path, yes. I was told by him that I could refer to myself as a Taoist. I might as well ask upfront, are you offended when I call myself a Taoist? If so, why? If it offends, disturbs or bothers you, ask yourself "how does it affect me and my life" I want you to tell me why it affects you in a personal way. Give it some thought and you will find a comforting answer, it doesn't! Did I ever claim I was a priest? No. Did I ever claim I was ordained or appointed? Nope. Did I ever claim to belong to any sect, group or lineage? No. I'm not interested in these persuits, I am a ritual magician who follows a Taoist path. To be more precise, I am what you would call a "Taoist Weather Magician" You can't get much more specific than that! I hold no rank or title within Taoism nor do I claim to. The Lord title is separate and has nothing to do with my magical activities. The headdress that I wore belongs to The Altar Of The Seven Stars. I've never seen another Taoist wearing it. I could provide close up photos if you wish. 

 

I don't think you will find another person who is as candid as I am, especially in this video right here where I talk all about my own shortcomings and my own faults and how it relates to materialism and money. I open up about the problems I've had with humility and frugality and what I do to overcome them from a Taoist perspective. I always say, I am a human before I am a Taoist. Watch it here: 

 

 

 

[flowing hands]

If you can and want to, tell me Josh, how did you get your money?

[liminal_luke]

43 minutes ago, flowing hands said:

If you can and want to, tell me Josh, how did you get your money?

 

I´m betting he got it as a paid weather shaman for the Florida Citrus Growers Association. If it turns out I´m wrong and the money comes from an inheritance or trust fund of some kind, will you esteem him any less?  I won´t.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by liminal_luke

[flowing hands]

9 minutes ago, liminal_luke said:

 

I´m betting he got it as a paid weather shaman for the Florida Citrus Growers Association. If it turns out I´m wrong and the money comes from an inheritance or trust fund of some kind, will you esteem him any less?  I won´t.  

Depends on what side of the fence you stand? At the moment I see visions of many Indian gurus, a lot of them frauds, enjoying driving around in Rolls Royces, tucking away millions under their beds while sometimes pleading poverty, while many of their followers live in terrible poverty. etc etc etc........... Most hermits live in caves or huts, have little or no compassion for anyone else, have very few possessions, some have no clothes at all. When I was in Asia I came across a hermits cave up in the mountains, it was just below a temple devoted to Quan Yin on a shear face. There was no room to park a Jag. Josh really has no choice but to be honest about his love of cars etc. Most people would brand him immediately as a fraud, (as they did), so he has in fact preempted that by coming out as being honest about his love of material possessions and this makes it somehow ok? Bill Porter wrote a book (Road to Heaven) about finding "hermits" in the mountains in China. I honestly don't think even stretching good humility and compassion, can we call Josh a 'hermit'. I think part of the problem is that he is fully attached mentally and physically to the material world and even when he says he lets go of ego in ceremonies he is just fooling himself. He is attached to the idea of ceremony and being dressed like being in a theatre performing Shakespeare. He appears to me to be a rich kid indulging himself in all that he wants and his passions and he makes excuses for himself for his lacking and by this, hopes to make an impact as a hermit on us the GP. Unfortunately he does remind me of a better version of Mak Jo Si without the swearing and the pretending that he knows something. My advice would be to leave all his material trappings and shave off his hair and spend a few years in a Buddhist monastery in somewhere like Thailand. He will then understand the nature of being poor and how many of his fellow humans even in the west struggle for survival on Boris Johnson's 'Universal Credit' and the reliance on food banks from churches etc.How people with no home live terrible lives on the streets. This will help him understand what the word compassion really means. It will help him to understand not being attached to the self and putting others first before his own needs. There can be no lame, even if honest excuses there.