NotVoid

ChiDragon wrote: "There are two states of manifestation for Tao. Tao is either visible(有, you) or invisible(無, wu). These two states are considered to be the duality because they are complementary to each other. However, by definition, in terms of no-thing or nothing cannot be considered as duality because they are not complementary to each other." The first part of what you say is just simply your own personal interpretation. There are no doubt many interpretations. The second part of what you said about no-thing and nothing not being complementary has nothing to do with anything I wrote here. I mentioned that 'no-thing' and 'nothing' (there is really no difference that I can see ) are opposites of something that exists, and are thus are part of dualistic conceptualization. I think that should be self evident anyway.

Notice the difficulties in trying to discuss 'tao' in language which is based on our dualistic view of the world/universe, and which really is a product of the conceptual limitations of the dualistic mind. We are left to use words like 'it' and 'is' and 'something' and 'nothing', etc. Saying 'tao' is not a thing or 'no-thing' is a dualistic concept, where 'nothing' or 'no-thing' is the opposite of something that exists. If 'tao' is beyond this dualism however, then the language and conceptualization of our dualistic mind is simply inadequate. Edit: if we view 'tao' as some sort of primordial substance that is non material, then it is still some thing, as opposed to no-thing. If we view tao as everything, then it is still something as opposed to nothing. We just can't escape the limitations of our dualistic mind, at least not through the use of our dualistic mind that is.

In my own experience, different taoists from different traditions do not appear to view things in the same way at all, and I suspect you will be hard pressed to find any really consistent view from different taoist traditions if you really look into it. Also, even in the tao te ching, which is considered an important text in taoism, the concept of 'tao' is not at all easy to understand or pin down, and what is written could be and is interpreted in many ways. My own personal feeling is that what is termed 'tao' is 'something' (for lack of a better word) which is beyond conceptualization and analysis, i.e., 'it' is beyond dualistic thinking. Because of this you cannot describe 'it' or analyze 'it'. It therefore is 'something' which it would seem can only be experienced at a level beyond 'ordinary mind', if at all. Sometimes it appears that what is called tao is used as a name for the principles or functions of 'tao' as these principles and functions unfold in this world/universe. So Taoists may refer to becoming more one with tao, or more in line with tao, which would appear to mean becoming more in line with the principles and functions of 'tao' as they unfold in this world. I think one possible take on the tao te ching is that it starts out by pointing out that tao is beyond conceptualization, but then goes on to outline how one can become more aligned with the principles and functions of this mysterious 'tao' and gives examples of what that is like. This is just my own personal very tentative viewpoint as I mentioned, and I certainly don't know one way or the other, and I think you could easily encounter many other viewpoints as well.

Regarding good and bad, and right and wrong, and that sort of thing in regards to various systems or practices or views, etc., my own experience and point of view is that this just can't be avoided in regards to pretty much anything in this world. Nothing is perfect in this world, and in my experience all systems, practices, viewpoints, beliefs, and the people involved with them can include varying degrees of good and bad, right and wrong, proper and improper, just and unjust, balanced and imbalanced, straightforward and misleading, etc. I personally have never encountered a perfect system, a perfect viewpoint, a perfect teacher, or a perfect student, etc. IMO, all we can do is keep an open mind and try to keep focused on the positive. Take what seems good and useful, and bypass that which does not seem good or useful. IMO, much of what we believe to be true is actually just concepts derived from many sources in many different ways and based on whatever information we can manage to gather and assimilate through our senses and instruments, and through the filtering systems of our world views. What we conceptualize and perceive at any given point in time can actually be far from 'reality', but despite this many such views and concepts can still prove at least somewhat useful or beneficial to us along the way in our development in various ways. This is how I personally view things, and it is the reason I am not so quick to throw something completely away just because there may be flaws or misuse by some, etc., or just because it is interwoven with seemingly outdated beliefs and viewpoints from a former time. etc. Focus on the good and positive and useful, and make use of it where it seems appropriate. In my view, it is all anyone can really do anyway. It's been an interesting discussion!

Hi Taomeow. Ok, on your views about such things. As I mentioned, I have encountered a lot of varying views and practices and opinions from different Chinese traditions and sources, so much so that I take it as pretty much a given now, and I try to avoid getting into the whole right and wrong thing. I always take it all with a grain of salt, and If something proves useful or beneficial to me I may make use of it, if not, I won't use it. Thanks for the feedback however.

Hi Taomeow. Thanks for the info on fengshui. I think the author of that piece was describing one of two 'common' explanations of the origination of the term 'feng shui', and not so much about the application of modern fengshui, and he was likely drawing from the views his own fengshui tradition as well (which he calls YangGong FengShui). He mentioned the following about his tradition, "YangGong FengShui has a set of theories that are quite different from other contemporary FengShui schools." As I mentioned, it would be no surprise to me if there are various views about such things, and I did come across another more scholarly interpretation of the origin of the term kanyu as well which was different than the one that that was described above. I have been around this sort of thing (looking at different Chinese traditions and their differing views and practices) long enough that I realize that there sometimes can be quite differing views depending on the tradition and the source, and so I don't worry so much about right and wrong, as that can get messy and is not always so productive. Anyway, all that aside, from what I can gather, a type of fengshui called form or landform feng shui (xing shi pai fengshui and luan tou fengshui have been mentioned) delves a fair bit into the interactions and influences of different land formations and that sort of thing. I may look more into it if I find the time sometime. While searching on landform feng shui, I came across this which I thought was interesting as well: (http://phoenixqi.blogspot.ca/2007/02/feng-shui-land-or-landform-school.html) "Landforms are also symbolic of the five phases of energy ... based upon shape: Very pointed forms represent the fire phase, flat forms like wide plateaus represent earth phase, rounded-top hills are metallic in energy, rolling hills are considered to belong to the water phase, and tall, thin hills with flat tops symbolize the wood phase of energy. "

The forces of nature at work. The Wave - Coyote Buttes, Arizona Bryce Canyon, Utah The Painted Desert Painted Desert Petroglyphs - Nature through the eyes of a people The Grand Canyon as seen from way up high - dragon veins? A petroglyph in the Coso Range Canyons, California. It is unknown how old the petroglyphs are, but some could potentially be as old as 16,000 years, and some could be much more recent. Somehow this one looks familiar.

Hi CT. Greed and unscrupulous behavior can be found in many forms, but because something can be abused it of course does not necessarily mean that it cannot have value. I am more interested in the general views and interpretations, and the interactions and usage of the forms and forces and energies of nature in this thread, rather than in any specific system or practice.

Hi Taomeow. Ok on that. My purpose for posting excerpts from the Zangshu, were in regards to the underlying principles in regards to interactions of qi in nature, which appears to me could be applied to many things... A little more about kanyu and fengshui. As with all things, there may well be other views (http://www.kanyu-world.net/index.php?main_page=page&id=11) __________________________ Kanyu KanYu was the first word to describe FengShui. The word FengShui was a later development. The ancients of China, experiencing the unpredictable forces of Nature, decided to observe Nature acting upon the land where they lived. They gathered experience after experience, accumulated data after data, stored knowledge after knowledge, and eventually accumulated a whole body of information concerning climatic patterns and its relationship with the land where they lived. The accumulated knowledge on the character of Nature, on how to avoid the unpleasant and on how to create a pleasant environment by channeling and intelligently utilizing the forces of Nature, became known as KanYu 堪舆. This was the original term for FengShui in ancient times. Kan 堪 by itself has a literal meaning of ‘May or can’ but here in this context, it has taken on the meaning of KanCha 勘察, which means ‘prospecting’ or ‘measuring.’ Kan 堪 can be Kan 勘, which means to survey or to prospect. Yu 舆 which has a few literal meanings: ( a ) ‘earth or land’ and YuTu 舆图 means ‘map’, ( b ) ‘vehicle’ and YuMa 舆马 as in horse cart. But here, it has the intrinsic meaning of ‘the Big Earth’ 大地. Therefore, KanYu 堪舆, together, took on the meaning of ‘surveying the big Earth.’ Fengshui Concept of the Word FengShui Based on the HeTu This concept of FengShui is based on the theory of the HeTu. It is one of the two most widely accepted explanations of FengShui. The other is based on the theory of the ZangShu. The HeTu’s fundamental theory has two important facets: Xiang or Appearance and Xing or Image. The HeTu itself is none other than a Map (or Chart) of the Stars (or Heavenly Bodies), and when used in FengShui, the Xiang (Appearance) denotes Heaven and the Xing (Image) represents Earth. Heaven is Xiang – is Appearance – is about the Stars, the 28 Constellations, is about Heavenly Qi which affects the Seasons on Earth and this Qi is carried by the Wind. Therefore, Heaven represents Feng 風 or Wind. Earth is Xing, is Image and is about the Four Celestial Animals represented in Landforms – QingLong (Green Dragon), BaiHu (White Tiger), ZhuQue (Red Phoenix) and XuanWu (Black Tortoise). Landforms is all about Mountains as Earth Dragons and Waters (Rivers, streams lakes, etc…) as Water Dragon. All these are Earth and represent Water 水. Therefore, the word FengShui can be explained using the theory of the HeTu. ------------------------ Where can one learn more about the theories of the movement and interaction of qi in nature? (besides directly from nature. ) The theories of nature created by people are complicated and long winded and confusing and can be misleading. However nature speaks to us directly and simply. If we can only remember her language...

Caramba, but this rock looks a lot like a turtle. The mysteries of nature... Some sample works of the Group of Seven - I find these magical... It's like these artists were saying, Ok, if you can't see it, let me try to make it clearer for you... (more here: http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/canadian/The-Group-of-Seven.html) Mirror Lake - Franklin Carmichael - 1920 Bay of Islands - Franklin Carmichael - 1930 Scrub Oaks and Maples - Franklin Carmichael - 1935 Algoma Hill - Lawren Harris - 1920 The Fire Ranger - Frank Johnston - c1920 Winter Charlevoix County - A. Y. Jackson - 1932-33 The Guide's Home Algonquin - Arthur Lismer - 1914 Another by Frank Carmichael Nature is speaking to us. Are we listening? _

Regarding kanyu/fengshui, an online translation of the Zangshu, (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu (276-324) can be found here: http://www.fengshuigate.com/zangshu.html Although this text is ostensibly about the most auspicious place to bury a person, it contains many key concepts of kanyu and fengshui, and is apparently considered an important text in kanyu/fengshui. As is typical in older Chinese writings, it is written with much symbology. IMO, this provides a hint that the concepts discussed run much deeper than just what the words can convey. Here's just a few interesting examples from the text, and although the text is fairly short, it appears to contain much to consider. ____________________ The five (phases of) qi course through the earth, materialize and give birth to the myriad things. ... I. The Flow of Qi A. Wind, Water, and Qi 1. The bones of hill and crag, the (arterial) branches of bank and mound, these are the trails of qi. [6] 2. The Classic says: Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water. 3. The ancients collected it to prevent its dissipation, and guided it to assure its retention. 4. Thus it was called fengshui. 5. According to the laws of fengshui, the site which attracts water is optimum, followed by the site which catches wind. B. Underground Qi 1. The Classic says: Truly it is said, where qi is manifested on the surface of the earth, underground qi accumulates vitality. 2. Why is this so? 3. Where qi flourishes, although it flows away, still there is some retention of its surplus. 4. Although it dissipates, still there is some accumulation in its depths. 5. Thus burials in arid lands should be shallow, whereas burials in lowlands should be deep. 6. The Classic says: When the proper depth is achieved, fengshui comes about naturally. C. Earth, Water, and Qi 1. The qi of yin and yang breathes out as wind, rises up as clouds, descends as rain, and courses underground as vital energy. 2. Earth is the receptacle of qi where there is earth, there is qi. 3. Qi is the mother of water where there is qi, there is water. 4. The Classic says: Qi flows where the earth changes shape; the flora and fauna are thereby nourished. ... Exalted Mountain Sites 1. The mountains of exalted ground descend from Heaven like a succession of bows, like billowing waves, or galloping horses. 2. They come in a rush, and they cease as if laid to rest, like someone resting peacefully while embracing a treasure, or fasting in purity while laying out a feast; like a bulging bag, or a brimming plate; like dragons and phoenixes, soaring and circling. 3. Birds hover and beasts crouch, as if paying homage to a noble of ten thousand chariots. 4. The heavenly lights regenerate, like rivers returning to the sea, or like the stars revolving around the North Star. 5. Embraced and protected by dragon and tiger, receiving each other like host and guest. 6. The Four Aspects [7] correct and clear, the Five Dangers [8] nowhere near. 7. If one-tenth deficient, the site is inferior. ... C. Fathoming Qi 1. Carried in metal, assisted by water, entombed in earth, and marked by wood. 2. On the outside it catches the eight winds; inside it hides the five elements. 3. The heavenly lights shine down; the earthly energies are carried upwards. 4. Yin and yang blend and mix, (forming) the five (colored) soils and the four perfections. 5. With the intelligence of strong vision and the totality of skill, pursue the perfect and avoid the imperfect; augment the high and low. 6. Subtlety lies in wisdom; deduce from analogy and thereby take advantage. 7. By the mysterious fathom yin and yang; through skill snatch the (merit) created (by heaven). ____________________

Hmm, interesting. People often hang pictures and paintings in their home and office, etc. of serene nature scenes. Perhaps the pictures and paintings can convey to some extent the actual energies of a real physical location. I don't know if it can be anywhere as strong as being in the actual location however. Perhaps there is more to it than a beautiful nature picture calming us just because it looks nice and serene. I think I have been motivated to start learning more about feng shui and kanyu and five element theory and practices. Thanks to all who have given input in this thread so far.

Hi Yascra. Ok, my friend.

Hello zerostao. Interesting about Thomas Aquinas... ================ yascra wrote: " Boy, what's so important about being understood by anyone..? Just let go.. I think if you don't aim to discuss, anyway, maybe this would be a topic for a personal practice journal rather than public forum? But as it is a general discussion at the moment: What EXACTLY makes you so sure about that? Best wishes " Hello Yascra. Well, I don't get a strong impression from what you wrote that you are really so much concerned about what was written here , and I actually have discussed this already, so I think there is really not so much more for me to say about it. Also, I did not say I was sure about anything. As I have explained, the point of the post was to try to describe a personal experience I had, and to also try to show how using words to describe such types of experiences can be quite inadequate, and it seems pretty much a given that no matter how carefully a person tries to choose words to try to give some sense of certain types of personal experience, there can and probably will be at least some degree of misunderstanding by people who just read the words but who have not had personal experiences them self which are really similar to the experience which one is attempting to convey. In my own experience , words used in such a case can only be used to try to provide a hint or some bit of a sense of the actual experience, but if others reading those words have not had similar experiences, and if no attempt is first made to at least try to understand the context of what is written a little better, if such people try to interpret the words literally or interpret just based on how they personally might like to guess at the meaning, then it seems it is pretty likely that there will be misunderstanding. The words I wrote in the first post were not meant to be taken literally, but were chosen and used more as colors are chosen to be used in a impressionist or abstract painting. It may well be for this reason that poetry and much abstract symbology is often used in regards to such types of experiences. This is what I attempted to do at any rate. As an another example, when something like the following is written, I personally would be inclined to think that it was probably not literally meant that dao is hilarious. 'If they do not laugh, it would not be dao.'

Mati Temple, Gansu Province, China. Buddhist temple built about 1500 years ago. (click the image to get a better look. ) Daciyan Hanging Temple (大慈岩悬空寺) - near Jiande City Cangyan Mountain Qianlou Hall (Qiaolou Dian) (苍岩山悬空寺) - Hebei Province Sanqingge Pavilions (三清阁) - West Hill of Kunming, Yunnan Province Built on a steep cliff. Tulouguan Temple (青海西宁土楼观)- Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD) - near Xining city Chaoyang Hanging Temple (河南淇县朝阳悬空寺) - Henan Province If we consider that all matter is really forms of energy, then it is maybe a bit easier to try to relate to what these ancients seemed to have grasped and made use of intuitively. The ancients appear to have also understood that this energy is not some stagnant, stationary thing, but it flows and pools and interacts and transforms in very distinct ways. The more you understand it, the more you can make use of it for different purposes. Possibly, at least.

(From Goethe's "Sprüche") You'd study Nature? Then remember, one and all must go together. Naught within and naught without. For what's within is still without. Hasten man, look up, behold. Her open mysteries unfold! True her seeming, real her play. Rejoice in them and her. No living thing is one, I say. It's many, everywhere. Monastery of St Stephen, part of the Meteora complex in Greece, built in the middle of the 16th century. Holy Monastery of Saint Nicholas Anapausas (Meteora complex), Greece, built in the 16th Century The Holy Trinty (Meteora complex) Monastery in Greece The monasteries of Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas (left) and Agia Roussanou (right) in Greece, part of the Meteora complex in Greece Another view of the Agia Roussanou monastery in the distance. Monastery of St. Barlaam, part of the Meteora in Greece. Temple in the region of Cappadocia in Turkey. Sumela monastery in Turkey, created 386AD, as the story goes after two priests discovered a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave on the mountain, on southern shore of the Black Sea. Apparently 3,900ft. Sigiriya, or Lion's Rock, in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka Taktshang Tiger's Nest monastery, 2,300ft above the Paro Valley floor in Bhutan

The link to the article that Rainbowvein posted in this thread actually provides a pretty good explanation of why at least some temples are built in these sorts of locations: _______________________________________________________________ Excerpt from: http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2851&Itemid=0 Pathways Energy in the land is carried by mountain ranges, waterways, and valleys. The pathway of mountain energy is called the dragon vein, because mountain ranges are said to resemble the body of a dragon, the main range being the spine and the branch ridges being the legs and claws. Some ridges even appear to rise out of the land like a dragon with fins on its back. The Chinese word for vein is mo, which is the same word for meridian and pulse. Thus, even in its choice of terminology, kanyu recognizes a close relationship between the energetic structure of the body and the land. [figures 2 (Dragon with fins) and 3 (Himachal Mountains)] The amount of energy carried in a dragon vein depends on its "health." Just as a person is healthy when exhalation and inhalation are smooth and regulated, the energy of a dragon vein is strong when the range has many peaks (exhalation points) and dips (inhalation points). Flat-topped ridges, for example, do not have much energy because there is little breath activity. In waterways, the pathway of energy is called the water dragon, because again the course of rivers resembles the body of a dragon. The number of tributaries in a waterway and its drainage pattern determine its health: the more tributaries flowing into a river, the more energy the river carries; the more articulated and elegant the pattern of the drainage basin, the more active the energy of the water dragon. Just as a person is unhealthy when arteries are blocked, energy from a river is lost when its course is blocked by debris and dams. While dragon veins (mountain ranges) carry yang energy, valleys carry yin energy. Because valleys resemble the body of a dragon carved into the land, the pathways of valley energy are called valley dragons. Like water dragons, a valley dragon is strong when a main valley is "fed" by many branch valleys. Just as an imbalance of yin and yang energies in the body is detrimental to health, land that is overly mountainous is considered too hyperactive to accumulate energy and land that is predominantly flat is considered too lethargic to awaken energy. ... Interacting with the Energy of the Land While the use of kanyu (equated in popular jargon with feng shui) to locate and design homes and rooms is fairly well known, its use in spiritual contexts is less well known and appreciated. As noted above, kanyu has long been used to site and design monasteries, shrines, temples, retreats, and hermitages to draw energy from the land and facilitate spiritual practice. Here are a few examples that will also help to illustrate the general principles of kanyu. [figure 12 (Leh gompa)] To absorb energy directly from the dragon vein, the monastery is built on the vein. [figure 13 (pagoda on vein)] To draw energy out of the vein, the pagoda, which functions like an acupuncture needle, is built on the vein. [figure 14 (Taktsang)] To absorb energy from the core of the vein (where energy is most potent), the monastery is literally built "inside" a vein. Taktsang is the prime example. Perched on a rock platform under an overhanging cliff, the monastery can draw powerful energy directly from the "belly" of the vein. [figure 15 (Thiksey gompa)] To absorb energy bubbling out of the land, the monastery is built on an energy regulator. Architecture situated on top of a regulator acts like a valve that can amplify, channel, transform, and control the spread of land energy. [figures 16 (Buddha's Palm) and 17 (Yogini Valley)] Some landforms can facilitate specific spiritual practices because they embody the energies of that practice. For example, the formation known as Buddha's Palm is especially conducive to meditative practices such as vipassana, shamatha, and zazen. The formation known as the Yogini Valley is especially conducive to practices that cultivate "womb" or female yogic energy. [figures 18a and b (Jewel in Lotus and orienting to Jewel)] Some landforms are so conducive to spiritual practice that one only needs to have a line of sight toward them to benefit from their transforming power. In kanyu, this is the principle of "orienting to patterns of enlightenment." Probably the most dramatic example of this principle in action is found at Thiksey Gompa in Ladakh. The center of Thiksey's main shrine is aligned with the jewel in the landform called Jewel in the Lotus. The kanyu classics emphasize that in order to identify patterns of energy in the land, the barrier between the microcosm of mind and body and the macrocosm of the land must be dissolved. One cannot recognize such patterns and relationships based purely on technical or conceptual knowledge. Intuition and direct experience with the qi of the land is required, which is why meditation and yogic practices traditionally formed a part of kanyu training. In fact, Jamgön Kongtrhl the Great, renowned both for his yogic and worldly understanding, and for seeing their inseparability, provides one of the pithiest summations of the understanding that lies at the heart of kanyu: To those of aberrant minds, the place is just earth, stone, water, and trees. To mistaken intellects, it appears as solid inanimate objects. To practitioners, appearances have no intrinsic nature. To those of pure vision, it is a celestial palace full of deities. To those with realization, it is the radiant luminosity of innate awareness. _______________________________________________________________

Hi Taomeow. Ok in regards to the special attributes of mountains. I think maybe I should try to spend more time up in mountains.

zerostao wrote: "is this thread simultaneously talking about 2 different lama dorje's? that is my take, and it can be confusing. (will the real lama dorje please stand up?)" Yes, I think this thread was originally in regards to Max Christensen (AKA Lama Ngakpha Dorje), and some other people have diverged to discussing Peter Yeung (AKA Lama Dondrup Dorje). Regarding Peter Yeung, I have never met him so I don't know what he is like as a person, but his empty force stuff and his current organization does seem questionable, but some videos I have seen of him from years ago demonstrating his martial arts was pretty impressive. He does appear to have some real martial arts skills from what I saw in some of those old videos. It is interesting that Max Christensen also demonstrates an empty force thing as well with his students in that video that was posted of him here. Not everything is straight forward and black and white in this world. We always have to keep our eyes open and use our perception and best judgement. Peter Yeung (Lama Dondrup Dorje) Martial Arts Demo from 1989

Hello Rainbowvein. Many thanks. That is very interesting indeed.

Yes, those are probably factors in this as well. In general of course for temples built primarily for the purpose of cultivation, locations in more remote locations well away from distractions from other people would seem to be desirable, but some temples being located in very difficult locations such as sheer cliffs and very high and steep mountain peaks and ridges, and into caves on cliff walls as well, may sometimes at least be for more reason than just because a hermit practiced there or because it was remote or secluded, as in such cases something also may have compelled the hermit to practice at that specific location originally as well. It does seem reasonable to me however that different temples may well have been built in their specific locations for various different reasons. I personally do think it is at least possible that some locations may have been chosen because of special unique qualities beyond just being very remote, or because some noteworthy hermit practiced there. I really don't know however.

Hi ChiDragon. Thanks for the reply. That sounds like possibly a rather narrow view of feng shui to me however. I suspect feng shui can be utilized for various different purposes and in different ways, for example, used to determine a good or ideal temple site used primarily for cultivation purposes, but used differently to locate a good site for a temple used primarily to serve the general population in a certain area. I don't know for certain either way myself, but I suspect you have no real training in feng shui as well, so I will leave it at that with you. I am just throwing some ideas out for general consideration. Although I have my own ideas, I don't really know, so that is why I am putting the question out, to see how other people are inclined to view it.

Kajenx wrote: "When the first event happened, I definitely over thought it, but I don't think that's too much of a danger now. When I realized that all the good things that had happened were tied to letting go, it was hard to justify holding on to anything. I had a week or two where I kept finding myself all caught up in an emotion and I just realized how ridiculous I was being, haha. I've had a lot of trouble with anxiety in the past, but at this point I don't see how it could catch me again. If I feel some kind of negativity, it's very easy to dissociate from it and just let it be whatever it is. It goes away within a minute." It sounds like that this is a good positive sign of real progress, and also that you understand better that you should just let go and relax and allow progress to occur naturally rather than trying to make certain types of experiences happen seems good as well.

Hi ChiDragon. I agree that bandits were likely not a major concern. I am more inclined to think feng shui and possibly some other related reasons may have been an important factor in picking these more difficult locations.

I can see how being in a very remote location could be helpful in various ways, but would you really have to be right up on a high mountain peak or steep ridge or sheer cliff to help avoid bandits and other unwanted guests? Maybe bandits were very determined in those days, although there probably wasn't all that much in a remote mountain temple that would be useful to bandits. ChiDragon, thanks for the information on that Hanging Temple. I find it not so plausible that people would go through so much trouble to build a temple in such difficult locations for the fanciful notion of being closer to heaven, but I can see wanting to be away from bandits and marauding armies and possibly from certain dangerous animals as well however. I am still inclined to think that there may have been other reasons for picking such specific and sometimes very difficult locations, but I don't know. It seems likely that geomancy (feng shui) would be used at least to some extent to help determine some of these locations, and that may possibly have been a very important factor in choosing the exact locations for many of these sorts of mountain temples, but I really don't know. Maybe in the view of feng shui such locations for temples are very desirable.