Tommy

I can only give you a non legal opinion for your situation. No legal advice. Disclaimer: that I do not take any responsibility for your use of my opinion. Whatever you decide to do after I stated my opinion will be your responsibility. CYA

Welcome to the forum, Nice to meet new members. I have not developed an interest in Taoism. Please, may I ask how you became interested in Taoism? I like Zen and Zen Buddhism. Also, auto mechanics. Have owned several cars over the years. All used and all with issues. So got an interest in auto mechanics. Found Zen Buddhism to be interesting as it seemed like a handbook of the human soul. Of course, opinions change over time. Would be interested to know what you like about Taoism?? Tommy

Why is Buddhism so complicated? Sorry, did not read all the post prior. To me, Buddhism is as simple as one wants it to be. Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path to get there. This lends itself to a layman's life and doesn't complicate it with unnatural rituals. When one seeks further knowledge of Buddhism, it gets a bit more complex. Karma, wisdom and compassion, enlightenment and nirvana, life and rebirth, practice comes a complex set of ideas about Buddhism. All that stuff only seems to feed into the mind which keeps one locked into this conventional world. If however, we drop the thinking mind then supposedly the true nature of ourselves open up to us. There is no need to learn about no self or rebirth or God or any of the skandhas or karma. Just seems like more stuff to get caught up in. Like the web of a spider. One line leads to the next. So, to answer the question of why is Buddhism so complicated? It is because people want it to be that way. Bodhidharma's example was to sit in a cave for 9 years. Not pour over texts and sutras. Yeah, I am not well versed in the sutras and little knowledge of Buddhism. So, my opinion doesn't really matter. And like everything else, take it with a grain or two of salt.

Not sure but they seem to come from the same place.

I first looked up what self discipline means. Google responded with AI, ... To be "self-disciplined" means you have the ability to control your own actions and impulses, allowing you to work hard and behave in a desired way without external prompting or supervision. It's the capacity to pursue long-term goals by managing your emotions and weaknesses, choosing what is right or beneficial for you even when faced with distractions, temptations, or difficult feelings. So, if I give advice or external prompting then it isn't self discipline? Is it?? One's ability to choose a path and follow it in spite of difficulties and temptations. So, it has to be a choice one makes and follows?? If I choose to stop smoking then I have to have enough discipline to stop? I quit a long time ago but still have dreams of smoking once in a while. My wife was a big motivator in quitting smoking. I do believe that the environment has an effect upon one's habits. Much like the experiment scientist did upon rats. Held in bare cages with two bottles of water. One bottle with plain water and the other laced with cocaine. The rats drank from the one laced with cocaine consistently until they died. Another scientist looked at the experiment and decided to give the rats the two bottles but also offer companionship of other rats. A place to rest and play. With the better environment, the rats stayed away from the cocaine laced water. So, my belief is that if your environment is conducive to the things you want to achieve then you will do so. If however, your environment is not then you will struggle all the way to losing yourself. My only advice is to determine your goals and seek the environment that will best suit your success. Good luck to you.

Welcome to the forum Shiyansong, Is that your given name when you were born or the one given when you started training at the Shaolin Center for Kungfu?? Or just an avatar? The original purpose of Shaolin Temple was for the development of the Buddha's Dharma. People seeking the truth of Buddha nature. When Bodhidharma visited, he began the teaching of training the body to withstand the rigors of meditation training. He was said to have sat in meditation for 9 years in a cave. Funny how the physical training has now become the primary purpose of Shaolin Temple??? The original philosophy behind kungfu training is to not fight. Do they still teaching that? Or has that changed too?? Please speak more of the time you spent at the Shaolin Temple. How are the masters? Is training terribly hard? What have you learned?

Sorry, not very aware of practices that will protect one's energy while staying sensitive and connected. Just using a little logic, it seems to me that being deeply rooted in one's practice would set one firmly in one's energy. However, being around other means that what happens with them will affect one. How can it not? If one becomes friends with another then whatever happens to the other will affect one. It is only natural. If one keeps one's distance then isn't that separation? Am I really that different from you that I must keep myself safe from your influence? Do you want to not feel love or compassion? But stay sensitive and connected?? Sorry, I am confused. How does one stay connected and sensitive while protecting one's energy? Limit one's time with others? Keep separate. Like hermits? What good is one's practice if it is only good when alone, separate from others? Again sorry for my ignorance.

I was a member of Zen Forum International for a while. It was a nice place to have discussions and get advice. There were teachers there but they never helped me. They had their own agendas. Promoting their websites or Zendos. Still a nice place to visit. Been to a few other forums and the people, there, were in a know it all type of situation. Heavy into knowledge about everything about the Dharma and Sutras. Made me feel out of place. Sorry, I am simple and ignorant. Still willing to learn. So, by chance, someone mentioned The Dao Bums. And I have found it to be a nice place to visit. Have gotten some great advice. Good people here. Even though they know a whole lot more than I do, they have never made me feel stupid for not knowing ordinary things a beginner might know. So very happy to have been here and met the people that re-ignited my interest and practice. But, as in all things, change happens. Maybe for the better??

I am sorry. I have not been able to answer this question. Will keep trying.

The topic of meditation has always been an interest of mine. However, I do not know what others know. My knowledge is limited to my experiences. For instance, I was never told what the purpose of sitting cross leg and setting the mind on a single task was meant to do. It was called meditation. But, according to some, there are different methods. So, what is the method (i used) and what does it do (to my mind) and what is the purpose (to bring to the present)? I started with watching breath go in and come out. At first I counted the breaths. Then went simpler to just saying in on the in breath and out on the out breath. So what does that do? I was told that the mind is constantly active. Creating its own world. That meditation would relax the mind and make it more focused. Words like one pointed concentration were thrown around. The practice has changed from watching breath to just sitting with the mind and listening to the quiet. Being present. Most of the time the narration of events or how one perceives the world is constantly creeping in. I just want to sit and be present in the quiet. To let go of this thinking mind. One person told me that he figured his way to enlightenment. The way was to stop thoughts. But, the method I was taught was to let the thoughts go. Not to chase them nor follow them. Not to suppress them for that causes them to come up more frequently. So, I believe that the method is to release ourselves from the thinking mind. Not to stop thoughts. To experience our self. I may be delusional in my thinking. And all my efforts are for naught. But when I sit in the quiet, ... I do not want to leave, to stop. However, I do slump and fall over in sleep at times. I have given up on the purpose and where I am in terms of stages. I guess meditation is what one makes of it. The How-to, ... well that depends on who one listens to or how one is taught.

I am sorry that you do not follow the Buddha. This thread is in General Discussions. And the Title of the thread is about the Abbot of a Shaolin Temple which is suppose to be Buddhist. And, the talk is about fakes. So, the point of awful teachers was known. My point was that life brings opportunities if one is open to learn. And that travel helps open the mind to new things. For me, travel let me meet my wife. And have a wonderful life. However, if all you see is ... a mistake to travel then clearly you need to stay where you are. And, avoid your costly mistake. I wish you well. Note: To each their own ....

I think being consistent is important part of practice. Like my practice has been on and off for a long time. So, I am stuck where I am. But what I have learnt in the mean time, it will stay with me. Advance? Move to the next stage? No. It is just being here is better for me, now. I do encourage you to do what brings you joy. Joy that is not absent that which brings true happiness for you and others. Something along the lines of wisdom and compassion.

I think he means that skipping a day means that one would lose the benefit from having done the all the chanting before. So effort would be lost for skipping days. For me, it is important to balance one's life. A time to do what is needed at the moment and lessons to be learnt from them.

Times have certainly changed. Born in Hong Kong. Grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan. Went to China on vacation and met a woman who became my wife (married 29 years now). And if someone wants to pay me to travel to China then would take it. If anyone wants to pay my travel expenses then yeah, would go. The old saying is travel expands the mind. Learning from stranger?? If one thinks about it, ... No one stranger than the Buddha? And once you meet someone then you are no longer strangers? So, no problem for me to learn from people since being open to learn from others is the best way to be. I am glad you found a good teacher near you.

Yes, important factors to take into consideration. However, during my practice, my bodily sensations seem to fall away. And my attention is mainly on the narration in my head and the quiet that creeps in. But, thank you.

Thank you for the reply. I understand creeping vines as the continual narration of self even as the silence has begun. It never lets go. And trying to move it only brings it further to the forefront. Only allowing it to stop on its own does the attention focus. The physical effort to maintain a straight back aids in the efforts to keep attention on the quiet. When it slacks, the mind begins to take over. Sometimes sleep to come. This can not be forced. Practice it over and over again then it may take root. Follow the quiet and silence. Creeping vines and my mind holds onto a song I heard earlier. I can't stop it. Only thing to do is to let it go. Let it play until it loses it control. Return to the silence, .. to the stillness. Much like letting go of a ball on a hill. It goes because that is what it does. So, yes, I can relate but I still do not know this place to stop and rest.

I recently read about the experiment,, they had rats in a cage and gave them two water tubes. One was plain water and the second had cocaine in the water. The rats would constantly go to the second tube and drink themselves to death. Well, another scientist said that they only gave the rats a place to eat and drink. There was nothing else for them. So, he gave the rat other rats to live with and a place to explore and develop. Well, the rats stayed away from the second tube with cocaine. So, it turns out that the opposite of addiction isn't staying away from the drugs. Rather the opposite of addiction is a connection with others and a better environment. So yeah loneliness is terrible cause it isolates one from being in a community and feeling the connection that one needs. But, I truly do not know what can be done about it. Reaching others needs to be a two way effort. Anyway, my day is done.

In Zen, there are the ten ox herding pictures. Which might represent the stages towards enlightenment. Personally, I have found that wondering about where you are along the path is only going to reenforce the ideas that you are making any progress. It is self delusion. While I have seen changes in my sitting practice, I do not think of it as progress. Cause I am still where I started. One can not polish a roof tile into a mirror. One can not change into something one is not. Don't get me wrong. I have myself wondered if I made any progress and at what stage I am at. But, have learned that what is important is where you are now. If ever I can release this thinking mind then I hope to experience my true nature. Where would this nature be? I really do not know. The truth eludes me. I do wish you well and hope you find whatever it is you really want.