adept

ACCESSIBILITY As long as the sun rises And your heart beats, Tao is at hand. People think that Tao can only be known through fairy-tale stories of old men in the mountains or obscure poetry about gods riding dragons. Others declare that elaborate ritual, frightening talismans, and mumblings from the depths of spirit possession are necessary for understanding. This is simply not true. Why put another's experience before your own? Tao is in each of us. Admittedly, an individual's common ignorance usually obscures awareness of Tao, but this does not mean that there is no Tao or that it is not important. Tao is there for us to experience any time that we can open ourselves to it. Is the sun shining? Does night follow day? Is the sky blue? Do you have feeling? Then it is possible to know Tao directly and immediately. Don't delay, don't think yourself too insignificant. Feel for it. Right now. As long as you are alive, Tao is right at hand.

If only it was that easy.

TRUTH There are three levels of truth : Experience, reasoning, and knowing. All other assertions should be rejected. The first type of truth is experience. Once you have experienced something, you know it. No person can persuade you otherwise. The second type is truth gained by reasoning. In this case, the truth cannot be immediately verified because the subject is too small (like atomic particles) or too large (like the movement of planets through time) or too abstract (like ideas). Something may be true, but its truth is borne out by analysis rather than physical testing. Either of these two types of truths has a range of validity. They are relative. Therefore, though truths are superior to falsehood, opinions, beliefs, and superstition, they each have limits. There is a third type of truth that is different from these two. This is a way of direct spiritual knowing. Wholly internal, this mode is the direct experiencing of truth through the opening of higher faculties. Meditation gives one perceptions of absolute certainty. There is no doubt or need of other investigations; this knowledge is beyond words, descriptions, and rationalization. In fact, one must be careful not to let the fruits of one's meditations pass into the realm of rationalization. This will subject you to the relativity of external truths and ruin your confidence. To avoid doubts and conflicting opinions, followers of Tao keep their revelations secret. Then what is known directly is absolutely yours.

No problem. I hope everyone's taking something from these wonderful, simple teachings.

WRITER She withdrew into herself, First writing just for one, Then touching thousands. She incarnated ghosts, hurt, and joy Into paper-and-ink stories of wonder. One author said, "I can get rid of anything by writing about it," meaning that the process of externalization could liberate him from the pain in his soul. That realization produced a delicious dichotomy : to free himself, or to hold on to both joys and tortures by remaining silent about them. Writer write because they must : They need to express something from deep within themselves. They hear voices that others do not. They listen urgently, and they must communicate what they hear. People feel Tao in the same way that writers feel something unique. In the process of listening for mysterious voices and expressing the wonder that comes is a magic akin to the perfection of Tao.

This is very good. Thank you for sharing it.

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There are lots of variations of 8 Brocades. I practice this version which is very challenging. Lots of long deep wide stances, the hallmark of the northern Shaolin arts.

This awesome clip could point you in the right direction.

SUPERSTITION The voices of ghosts are so familiar, They whisper to me every day. You, so young and rich, Make assumptions with absolute assurance. I vacillate between superstition and tradition. You don't need to question. Tradition is the oral delivery of rites and customs from generation to generation. Superstition is belief inconsistent with what society generally considers true and rational. When tradition and superstition become bound together, it is a sign of trouble. For example, a woman was once taught not to wash her hair on anybody's birthday. Whenever she protested this, the answer was "Don't question!" Years later, she learned that in the old country, letting one's hair down was a sign of mourning and thus inauspicious on a birthday. What was etiquette in one generation became superstition in another. Those raised with traditions and superstitions are often torn between the extremes of biculturalism. Their inbred beliefs conflict with current knowledge and quickly changing culture, creating doubt and uncertainty. There has to be informed revision to all tradition if it is not to degenerate into superstition. The true substance of any tradition will take new form without compromising its inherent character. If not, it will just become the outmoded beliefs of old people, and it will fade into ghostly whispers.

There is an awful lot of very valuable stuff online for free also.

Nobody yet has mentioned that ZZ is very, very tough to actually do properly. It's not just a case of standing still and meditating. There has to be constant monitoring of your position, foot placement, alignment, weight distribution, sinking, tucking, expanding, sucking in of the crown, lao gang and yong quan, etc etc. I have practiced it for years and it doesn't get any easier as time goes by. Try standing in San Ti while adhering to the six harmonies for anything over 6-7 minutes per side and you'll see what I mean. Absolute hell, but paradoxically enjoyable at the same time.

DYING Leaden blankets weigh her down, White hanks drape her leathery face. Caught in the numbness of narrowing time, Eyes blinded by gauze, Robotic sights echo into her coma. Metallic hiss of breathing machine is the Strange violence of modern compassion. What do we do when those we care deeply about are dying, while we go on living and working? We might be tempted to indulge in our own feeling of injustice, sadness, or fear, but we should think first of those who are dying. We have a responsibility to be with them. Don't let others die lonely. No matter how ironic your living may compare with their dying, act for them as they can no longer act. If they reach out for some way to cope with their impending end, you need not have flowery words. Merely being with them, perhaps reaching out to hold hands, is eloquence enough. Death may be near, but any amount of time before it comes is precious. Life's moments are not cheapened by death. Just to observe and affirm is good. After all, death waits for all of us. Only the value we place on each minute determines the quality of life. If we can embrace that, then no one's life is ruined by death.

Sounds like an awesome trip you have lined up. Something I would love to do one day. I have a friend who has travelled in China and, like you say, most of the temples and martial art schools are tourist attractions monitored by the PRC. There's even a hotel on Hua Shan for goodness sake, is nothing sacred ? According to my friend, Taiwan is where you will find the most authentic teachers, in Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and the martial arts, as some of the masters fled there when the communists took over. That's not to put you off your travels by the way. I'm sure there will be many opportunities to learn some excellent things while you are in China. Just let everything soak in. Best of luck on your forthcoming travels.

Excellent !

I've got an e-book somewhere on my hard drive. 'Chinese Healing Exercises- The Tradition of Daoyin' by Livia Kohn. I haven't read it yet though. I've got waaay too much to get on with at the minute. If you PM me your e-mail, I'll send it to you. Be warned though, it is a large file (3.3MB).

OPTIMAL If you are best in the morning, Cultivate Tao in the morning. If you are best in the evening, Cultivate Tao in the evening. Whatever the optimal time of day is for you, you should devote it to the cultivation of Tao. For example, dawn, when it is quiet, the world is fresh, and the mind is untainted by the day's events, is an ideal time to devote yourself to study. Morning, the time of birth, should not be wasted on a quick breakfast, a hastily read newspaper, and a manic rush to work. If is far better to awake from peaceful sleep, wash yourself, drink clear water, and immerse yourself in the rising energy of the day. If your optimal time is evening, there are two propitious intervals : twilight, when day and night come into balance, and midnight, when the first breath of the coming day arises. In the night, worldly cares are put aside, rest and relaxation are paramount, and the entire world withdraws into nocturne. Night is the time of regeneration, and it should not be wasted on wanton entertainment, indulgent sexuality, and too much sleep. It is far better to retire from the cares of the day, bathe, and immerse yourself in the gestating power of the dark.

INSEPARABLE The trunk is hollow, But the branches live. The void is fundamental, But the ten thousand things are diverse. Therefore, wanderers free themselves of cares And follow Tao in great delight. The base of a tree may occasionally be hollow, yet the trunk can rise a hundred feet to support a lushly growing crown. Tao may be void, but the world has great profusion. This is because there is no separation between void and phenomena. Therefore, Tao cannot be gained from denying the world. Void is a part of all reality and thus has tangibility. The great Tao permeates the world and so it can be studied in the world. All that needs to be known about Tao's manifestation can be known by traveling through life. All experiences are valid, for all experiences are of Tao. In all of life, the only thing that separates from Tao is the human ego, because one places oneself before all other things. By contrast, those who follow Tao divest themselves of self-importance and desire for success. They prefer to follow Tao as it flows through the land. They move from place to place as they intuitively sense its direction. Feeling the divine energy, they live in its vital flow. These wanderers have glimpsed the void that is in them and in all things. They delight in life but never see more than void.

ENJOYMENT Sleek sky of cobalt blue; Water like nectar satisfies deeply. Air sweeter than the best perfume; Sunlight warms a grateful cat. It is hard to believe life is all for naught. Can't we take happiness when it comes? There is admittedly a great deal of suffering and horror in this world. But if we are to accept life's sad parts, we must also embrace its good parts. As long as we are in this world, we must accept it all. If what comes our way is occasionally wonderful, no one should deny our enjoyment. We all know that every rise is followed by a fall. Why dwell only on dread of the future? As long as we have behaved responsibly, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the best of what life has to offer. Look at a cat as she stretches out contentedly in the sun. There is no thought of the next moment, only the sheer enjoyment of the present. Rest assured that she will still be able to clean herself, still be able to catch mice, and still be able to do all the things that a cat must do. But she is without anxieties, and so she is purely and totally who she should be. She acts as if she were nature's favorite. And who is to say otherwise?

Here's a couple of excellent sites. Should keep you entertained for a while. http://atouchofancientszhouyi.blogspot.com/ http://www.taoiststudy.com/content/damo-qigong-taoist-inner-alchemy-study

SLEEP Sleep is like a swift train Plunging into long black tunnels, Slicing day with red and black light. No worry about the skeleton engineer. Head to pillow is like head to track, Listening to the rumble of destiny, Knowing that the opening will come. In sleep, as in the tunnels, The sound seems ever closer. When you sleep, some insist that the world as you know it ceases to exist. The world exists because something inside of you asserts that it is so. When awake, are you then no longer dreaming? Or are you just dreaming another dream? Going to sleep takes letting go. As any insomniac will tell you, it can't be forced. But we so identify control with waking, is it possible that the uncontrolled aspect of sleep is an equal reality? Sleep seems so real, and then we awake. Waking life seems so real, and yet we need to let go of it every day. This strange contrast is one that those who follow Tao contemplate continually. If life is mere shifting from one dream to another, they constantly ask : What is truly real?

SHEATHS Outside is form, Inside is thought. Deepest is the soul. Traditional sages describe a human being as having three sheaths. The outer one is the physical body and incorporates primitive drives and instincts. The inner one is the mind and includes discrimination, reasoning, and sense of individuality. Both the body and the mind are enslaved to the outer world because they gain their knowledge from sensory input. They cannot know anything "intangible," anything without a form or a name. At the core of every person is the soul. This is a pure, virgin self. It does not think in the ordinary sense of the word, has no egotism, and is not concerned with maintaining itself in the world. Although the body has a shape and the mind is multi-faceted, the soul is completely without form or features. No markings, profiles, names, formulas, numbers, ideas, or conceptions can be projected upon it. It is pure, shapeless, and empty. Any person with training can reach this soul. Only then can you be convinced of its presence. When you reach it, your body and mind will become irrelevant, for you are now in a state beyond the senses and beyond thought. The soul is called absolute because it is beyond all relativity.

I've met Alex once before and had the pleasure to train with him back in 2005. He is a VERY good martial artist. A touch evasive at times, but very humble and not ego driven like a lot of teachers. Old school internal training is his speciality, not immortality, new age, power seeking gubbins.

BLAME Though others have faults, Concentrate on your own. Some people have the habit of blaming others. Perhaps all of us have this weakness. The list of scapegoats for our miseries is clever and endless. Parents, community, teachers, government, and even demons and gods are all invoked when we have problems. If difficulties truly come from the outside, the problem is not blame. For those cases, the course of action is very clear : Neutralize that influence. If the problem comes from within, the solution must come from within as well. Before you blame friends, relatives, or teachers for bad habits and shortsightedness, you should remember that no one is to blame but yourself. It is an equal mistake to lose self-esteem simply because you have some flaws. Looking at your shortcomings and taking steps to eliminate them should be viewed as a dispassionate project. You are not worthless because you undertake to rise above your faults. That description is only for those who never attempt to perfect themselves. We all have a perfect core, a special self inside. That purity is perfect and holy; therefore, no one is worse than another. We are all on this planet simply to reach back into that pure self. When we reach that spirit, there are no flaws and there is no blame.