Looking for good teachers

[Ira]

Hi! I'm 36, female. I'm Buddhist practitioner, my main lineage is Chinese Mahayana, Pure Land. I also have experience in Vajrayana.  I'm interested in Buddhism, Dao, Tai-chi, qi gong, nei gong, nei dan and bagua zhan. I'm Russian living in Balkans for quite a long time. I can speak basic Chinese. I'm practicing every day for several hours. My usual nian fo, reading scriptures etc, as well as qi gong, nei gong etc. I'd be glad you recommend me online and offline courses for serious practice. I've tried one year in Damo Mitchell's academy and like it's structure. I'm looking for masters with good ethical conduct and good moral code. It's the basis we should start from I believe. Right now I'm looking for something that is similar to Damo's Lotus academy. I need tons of explanations because they fit my mental structure  I'm interested in offline seminars as well.

[Pak_Satrio]

Welcome to the Dao Bums! Check out Authentic Neigong by Rudi for something similar to Damo’s Lotus academy. There are a few threads about it too if you have a look
 

https://authenticneigong.com/

[Cobie]

Hi Ira. Welcome to the forum. 
 

 

[Neirong]

On 06.09.2023 at 12:12 PM, Ira said:

I've tried one year in Damo Mitchell's academy and like it's structure. I'm looking for masters with good ethical conduct and good moral code. It's the basis we should start from I believe. Right now I'm looking for something that is similar to Damo's Lotus academy.

Perfect ethical conduct, smoke cigars, drink whiskey, sell scam, run a persona cult and deceive people.

https://ancientmasters.org/library/damo-mitchell

[dino]

On 06. 09. 2023. at 11:12 AM, Ira said:

Hi! I'm 36, female. I'm Buddhist practitioner, my main lineage is Chinese Mahayana, Pure Land. I also have experience in Vajrayana.  I'm interested in Buddhism, Dao, Tai-chi, qi gong, nei gong, nei dan and bagua zhan. I'm Russian living in Balkans for quite a long time. I can speak basic Chinese. I'm practicing every day for several hours. My usual nian fo, reading scriptures etc, as well as qi gong, nei gong etc. I'd be glad you recommend me online and offline courses for serious practice. I've tried one year in Damo Mitchell's academy and like it's structure. I'm looking for masters with good ethical conduct and good moral code. It's the basis we should start from I believe. Right now I'm looking for something that is similar to Damo's Lotus academy. I need tons of explanations because they fit my mental structure  I'm interested in offline seminars as well.

where in balkans?

 

[Ira]

11 hours ago, Neirong said:

Perfect ethical conduct, smoke cigars, drink whiskey, sell scam, run a persona cult and deceive people.

Well. Occasional smoking and drinking is up to him. He is not promoting it and was filming this episode during holiday time. I've read this article before and would like to know more about the authors. Looks like they are hiding their names  Persona cult is nonsense. But 'deceiving people' I would discuss. Do you have some proof?

[Ira]

1 hour ago, dino said:

where in balkans?

 

Bulgaria.

[Taoist Texts]

14 hours ago, Neirong said:

deceive people. https://ancientmasters.org/library/damo-mitchell

this is thrilling! if for the sake of an argument a fake magus jumps  a fake taoist, who would win and who would lose? Present company excepted of course. Faites vos jeux, messieurs dames! Popcorn!

 

 

[Neirong]

6 hours ago, Ira said:

Well. Occasional smoking and drinking is up to him. He is not promoting it and was filming this episode during holiday time. I've read this article before and would like to know more about the authors. Persona cult is nonsense. But 'deceiving people' I would discuss. Do you have some proof?

It exists for over 30 years, and there are no results.

Persona cult is a factual reality, I have observed a bunch of students of Damien, and they have been clearly showing signs of being brainwashed. It is the opposite state of mind that you want to see in practitioners and adepts of esoteric arts.

I have seen Damien's original writings - they are ridiculously bad from cultivation standpoint. If he had teachers at some point they were very low level.

 

6 hours ago, Ira said:

Looks like they are hiding their names

Imagine stealing name from a historic figure to present oneself as qualified in the field.

[refugeindharma]

Have you considered attending the Lotus Nei Gong school/retreats in Bali? Are you in the LNG Discord?

There was a new video/announcement released about month long training periods starting early next year if you're interested.

 

Also skimmed through through the link above reviewing Damo and it's quite poorly written with some of the arguments presented being quite ridiculous. Interesting that the link/website itself is selling their own course (for more than what Damo charges too)

 

 

[Ira]

13 hours ago, Neirong said:

Imagine stealing name from a historic figure to present oneself as qualified in the field.

His himself regularly says he has no link with historical Damo and his name have no wight or hidden meaning. You say "It exists for over 30 years, and there are no results." - what are results for you? And what exists 30 years if Damo himself is in his 40thies only? Are you the author of this article? It is really funny.

 

If you don't like Damo, whom would you recommend?

[Ira]

29 minutes ago, refugeindharma said:

poorly written with some of the arguments presented being quite ridiculous

I agree. I noticed that since this web page appeared several of the same people keep posting it in all threads that mention Damo. 

 

Yes, I'm considering going to Bali one day or maybe it would be more convenient to attend his retreats in Europe. But now I'm more concentrated on studying online. I live in nature and have great opportunity to practice in silence. I live in solitude and have my daily Buddhist practice as well. So I enjoy flexible online pace. I personally think Damo's online academy is very well structured. But I'm still looking for some alternatives to add them to my practice. It's not that his academy is bad. No way. It is just that I'm still interested in other directions and teachings.

[Neirong]

19 hours ago, Ira said:

His himself regularly says he has no link with historical Damo and his name have no wight or hidden meaning

He says a lot of things, that is his job.
He also says that he is not running a cult.. repeatedly.

"Hey, I am not robbing you, yes, I am taking all your money, but it is not robbery? Why? I said, so."
 

19 hours ago, Ira said:

and there are no results.

People clearly don't know anything. Esoteric and Exoteric teachings are different. You can practice Exoteric for your whole life and will never know the difference. Exoteric teachers drink, smoke, behave like monkeys because they are monkeys. The teaching is incapable of changing who you are.

 

19 hours ago, refugeindharma said:

Also skimmed through through the link above reviewing Damo and it's quite poorly written with some of the arguments presented being quite ridiculous. Interesting that the link/website itself is selling their own course (for more than what Damo charges too)

Even if we don't look at the value of the content and study materials. Damien is a discounted version of Andrew Tate, his dream is to make Hustle University.

You are confusing prerecorded echo-chambers lectures with live platform teaching and master personally checking students reports.

There is not a single minute of Damien personal time spent into you studying in his Academy. He does not know 99% of "customers" in his online netflix.

 

19 hours ago, Ira said:

If you don't like Damo, whom would you recommend?

Just to be clear here, I am not interested in Damien's students or followers. I have only responded to your association of Damien and morals/ethical conduct.

Also, I like Damo, the Bodhidharma one. Zen teachings of Bodhidharma is a book I often recommend to beginners.

[refugeindharma]

3 hours ago, Neirong said:

There is not a single minute of Damien personal time spent into you studying in his Academy. He does not know 99% of "customers" in his online netflix.

 

These are somewhat unfounded claims, along with the accusations/negative points listed in the review linked above

 

Damo often responds to people's questions in the FB group/Discord and also hosts Zoom meeting sessions (for free) for academy members, something he hasn't done in a while but has said will start up again

 

So saying "not a single minute of his personal time" is spent into those studying his academy imo is false

[silent thunder]

Some years back I reached out to Damo in a blind email with rather pointed questions regarding Dao Yin and he was quite generous with his time and thorough in his detailed responses, even though I am not and never have been his student.  My usual teacher was unavailable for an extended period at the time, which is why I took a shot.   So yea, with nothing to gain from me, he was open, knowledgeable and kind.  Indications of having been on the path for some time.

 

When my formal teacher (18th generation lineage holder) returned, we covered the material again and he approved of Damo's assessment. 

[Ira]

On 9/17/2023 at 7:49 PM, silent thunder said:

18th generation lineage holder

Hi. Thank you for sharing this. May I ask your teacher's name?

[idquest]

On 06/09/2023 at 2:12 AM, Ira said:

Hi! I'm 36, female. I'm Buddhist practitioner, my main lineage is Chinese Mahayana, Pure Land. I also have experience in Vajrayana.  I'm interested in Buddhism, Dao, Tai-chi, qi gong, nei gong, nei dan and bagua zhan. I'm Russian living in Balkans for quite a long time. I can speak basic Chinese. I'm practicing every day for several hours. My usual nian fo, reading scriptures etc, as well as qi gong, nei gong etc. I'd be glad you recommend me online and offline courses for serious practice. I've tried one year in Damo Mitchell's academy and like it's structure. I'm looking for masters with good ethical conduct and good moral code. It's the basis we should start from I believe. Right now I'm looking for something that is similar to Damo's Lotus academy. I need tons of explanations because they fit my mental structure  I'm interested in offline seminars as well.

 

You can look into one of Damo Mitchell's teachers Mark Rasmus. Rasmus uses different vocabulary from daoism, but essentially he teaches the same stuff. 

[Klinsly]

Welcome! Flying Phoenix and Spring Forest both are regarded rather highly around here.  Flying Phoenix has a ridiculously long thread with more information than you'd ever need. Spring forest has some good threads too like  This one about This guy's personal experience and development with the system.  And their website is ver helpful too.  https://www.springforestqigong.com/

and here's the flying Phoenix one. 

 

[Trunk]

On 9/6/2023 at 2:12 AM, Ira said:

 I'm Buddhist practitioner, my main lineage is Chinese Mahayana, Pure Land. I also have experience in Vajrayana.  I'm interested in Buddhism, Dao, Tai-chi, qi gong, nei gong, nei dan and bagua zhan.  ... I've tried one year in Damo Mitchell's academy ... looking for something that is similar to Damo's Lotus academy.

 

Welcome to TDB's! 

 

(in addition to the fine suggestions previously posted by others)

Sifu Christopher Matsuo has a good reputation here, and teaches bagua qigong.  He lives in Hawaii, and has Japanese, Chinese and Tibetan ... connections.  The methods that he teaches, and the tips that he gives to make those methods work, uncannily effective.  Good humored and generous.  Less structured than Damo's presentation, but his talks and tips align deeply with principle.  He's been doing this since he was an infant (now, his daughters similarly) and he points to the right stuff.

Here's a post that has links to his various resources: