林愛偉

Li Jiong, I am not looking to argue. Also, to even have to attain a level to distinguish them is ridiculous in and of itself. Why do so? Why do humans have to always label, and put certain things on a hierarchical status? That , in and of itself, is no high attainment, and I don't want it. Sorry brother, but having to attain a level where I can distinguish the highs and lows is not an attainment worth going for. I am reaching for neither high nor low. A state where the words of the Dao De jing and the Buddha Dharma all do not exist, do not need to not exist. That is a place you haven't reached for sure, and I myself am going for. To tell you straight up, the Dao De Jing is very direct indeed, but with all the commentaries on it, no one is going to reach the level of actual sagehood through Laozi's teachings. The same goes for Buddhism as well...too many egocentric people claiming to know the pure doctrine lead millions off the path. Its unfortunate, but it is here in our world. Two great teachings mixed into the dust and grime... some get it and some don't. When you get it, it is thus Heavenly Blessings, and when you don't it is simply your own misfortunes. Next thing we will hear about is people claiming they understand the Dao De Jing, and that they are sages. What a joke. I wrote the below to a brother of the cultivation of the Way, and thus, I will post it here as well: Buddhism is about cultivation, attaining wisdom and becoming a Buddha, which only those who cultivate the teachings of the Buddha Dharma will attain. Those who talk about Buddhism as though they are an authority on the teachings, but do not cultivate Buddhism, are deviant, and will cause millions of living beings to remain confused and enter the hell realms of their mind. One cannot attain Buddha hood unless they are cultivating the Proper Buddha Dharma. Plain and Simple. All this talk from people about how Buddhism is this and that is just clouds in the sky. They will never know the real and proper Dharma if it hit them right in the face..and unfortunately, it has hit them in the face, and no one has recognized it. When one truly understands Buddha Dharma, the world and all those things said to be of the world come into view, and are seen for what they are... ---- Peace and Blessings, Lin

Li Jiong, Lao Zi, though very wise indeed, was not higher than the state of a Buddha. Either he was an transformation of a Buddha, which would make him a Buddha, or a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, which has been investigated deeply. He is recognized as the Bodhisattva Mahakasyapa, who undegone similar birth in previous lifetimes. Here is the record statements of the SIxth Patriarch's Diamond Platform Sutra, with Commentary by Xuan Hua Shang Ren: In the world of cultivation, none of these methods of "Buddhism and Daoism" have a label. They do not fight with each other to see who is better. They are all simply just cultivation methods, one family all interrelated. No one is taking credit for the accomplishments of Lao Zi, but what is truth is truth; Daoism and Buddhism is really aspects of the same teaching of cultivation. Even Patriarch Lu Dong Bin cultivates Chan and is a Dharma Protector, yet he appears int he world as a Daoist for the Daoists. At those levels, there are no distinctions. Only at the levels of ignorance and relativity, are there distinctions of the mind. Where we are is a kindergarten class. All these great cultivators are wondering what's taking us so long...but they sit by and push us to continue along the way. So please, say what you will, but making statements like that really help people create more false thoughts about Daoism proper. Lao Zi can be a Transformation body of a Buddha, that would be great, and or a Bodhisattva. But I have not once met a being higher than a Buddha. Just doesn't happen. Be well brother. Keep up the good work. 好好修行吧. 林爱伟 Peace and Blessings, Lin

Hi Metzu, Cultivation isn't a one lifetime event. It happens over successive lifetimes, and at one moment everything becomes totally clear, withotu distinction. There is no up or down, sky and Earth...etc. It is a gradual effort which results in the sudden attainment. Gradually cultivating daily, life after life, and when the conditions are proper, wisdom shines through. Deeper cultivation results in more and more purer wisdom. Then at an even higher point, wisdom is completed. Takes a lot of work though. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Neither.

Yes.

Wonderful! So glad some came out with this. Only in the realms of Relativity do Yin and Yang work as Yin and Yang. When in the state of non-duality, where is there a One and a two...the distinctions and the distinguisher both are no more...and so, they are not no more... Peace and Blessings, Lin

Peace and Blessings Father Paul... I heard the mountains rumble on that day. It was a good move on your part. We didn't have time for tea though...If I wasn't in China! We would have had a wonderful time. Amituofo Lin Ai Wei

Peace and Blessings! As for Xin Gong and Ming Gong, I have not known Buddhism to only specify one manner of such cultivation. It emphasizes cultivation of Patience, Compassion and Wisdom...it is the mind which can transform the body. I have seen that Buddhist cultivation cultivates the whole...that is mind. Once the mind is proper the body follows...doesn't take a long time as some think. Its just that mind is harder to work on than body.. lol Yin Shen... cultivation of one's mind in such a manner as to attain sight and a transformation body (Form) in the realms of ghosts, spirits of lower states. Yet, they can be of the heavens and or hell realms, have forms, but hold dominant qualities of unseen principles. Like Swordsman. Many are of Yin characteristics: long hair, thin, swift and in touch with the realms that are not readily seen by the organ of sight. With Yin Shen cultivation, it is the mind which transforms to attain spiritual abilities to see those states of spirits and ghosts, etc. One can become stuck in those realms though, and it would be difficult to get out! haha Those realms are messy indeedy. Yang Shen... Though Yin Shen cultivation, one can attain wisdom, Yang shen is the transformation and total purification of the mind, thus body following. Attainment of immortality in "higher" realms of beings, the Yang Shen cultivation ultimately will result in (with proper teachings and guidance) Completion of one's wisdom, Buddhahood, actual immortality which does not hold its opposite of non-immortality, true and complete Thusness. Yang shen cultivation results in the attainment of spiritual abilities as well, but coupled with wisdom cultivation and purification of the mind and body. This state of cultivation "opens" the mind for attainment of teachings from wise and highly cultivated beings, but if the teaching and guidance isn't proper, one can get deviant teachings, and then transform to a demon mind. These above explanations are from my own experience, and have not been taught to me by teachers, or even read, so they may not be what is traditionally written about. At states past relativity, there is neither here nor there. This is an ultimate state, which is not a state once attained. For to attain it, one has had to put down views of duality. Cultivation as a whole, should entail the whole, in relativity; Yin and Yang, but without its particular separation in focus for cultivation. Meaning, don't just think to cultivate Yin, and or Yang. Just cultivate, and with a concentrated mind, all is "attained". Basically, in Buddhism, Yin Shen, Yang Shen, etc, is not worried about. Nothing is seen as separate, just cultivate. These bodies in cultivation are only states, and eventually will degrade. Cultivation is straight through, no stops, no pauses and no focusing on small attainments. If one is not complete in their virtue, merit and wisdom, it is not the unmoved, undefiled mind. Daoist, Buddhist teachings... its all cultivation... its like going to a mechanic: The mechanic looks at the parts of the car and finds the one's needed to be changed. Then he changes the parts, and sups up the car to be really fast and well maintained, a high state of car. Then again, a mechanic may want to just connect the car to a machine which takes it as a whole, and shows which areas have problems, then he can go straight to the problem, fix it, and maintain the vehicle until it can no longer be used. The metaphor is to focusing on states (parts at a time) and or cultivating as a whole, controlling the mind, and directly penetrating the illusion. As for Yuan Shen, and Shi Shen, never heard of those terms, so I can not explain. Not to say they don't exist, just that I never heard of it. Please explain Yuan and Shi Shen... Peace and Blessings, Lin It would be dependent upon the state of the body. If tonification allows the stagnation to become more obvious, it may be a bit painful to the patient depending on the place of stagnation. On the other hand, tonification and draining may be a bit more comfortable in terms of getting the stagnant qi moving. One can tonify to a degree, drain and redirect that energy so as to move the stagnancy, and transform it. I am speaking generally... Not to be taken literal. Then again, I may be too vague Peace, Lin

haha Meaning many Daoists like to say bad things about Buddhism, and many Buddhists like to say bad things about Daoists.. haha :-)

No. Buddhists do not cultivate Yin anything. It is all Yang to attain wisdom and transcend the mundane. Vairochana Buddha is as bright as the sun. It is none other than Shakyamuni Buddha. A Buddha is bright and limitless in all workings .... that is Yang...but out of the relative scheme of Yin and Yang, a Buddha holds no views of Ego, Others, a Self and a Lifespan. No longer subject to birth and death, yin and yang do not exist because it only fits a relative equation, nothing more. As for the thing about fat Buddhist...Simply rubbish. I have met fat Daoists..hahaha I tell you, many Daoists love to argue about Buddhism. This is why ignorant people cultivate the Way , and stay ignorant. If S.N Goenka is another name for Maitreya Buddha, then... Maitreya Buddha was fat, because it was a symbol that worked for the people of that time and besides, That was only one incarnation of Maitreya, and it was to symbolize patience. The Chinese name of that incarnation was Monk Bu Dai, because he carried a cloth bag where ever he went. Buddhists don't sit around, they go out in the world and offer community service. They walk in cultivation, sit, etc. But seriously, you can't take that Daoist person serious. People are fat due to their karmic conditions, not because of some Yin cultivation haha ridiculous. You can not get fat from practicing Yin Shen Gong, or Yin Shen or practicing any Yin energy cultivation. It Will never happen. Yang Cheng Fu...Fat. I have met loads of Xin Yi people in China... who were Daoist, and many of them FAT. Peace, Lin

Was that the work of Monty Python??? Hilarious! hahaha

Well, I won't be able to make it this saturday to see you all. I have to be in New Jeresey at the Wong Fei Hung tournaments. My Sifu and I have been planning this for a while, and I just got word that it was the 12th, not the 20th like I was previously told. I hope you all enjoy yourself, and I hope that one day we can have another weekend lunch so I can get a chance to meet you all. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Waysun Liao's Taiji Quan Classics book is really good for a guidebook. I like it, and have read it many times in my younger years of Taiji Quan practice. Peace, Lin

That saying didn't point to Daoism, only truth. There's no such thing as "Daoist Truth" and"Buddhist Truth" and all the other schools of thought's truth. Truth is truth no mater what eyes you view it in. The problem is within the person seeing. Daoism had thousands of books as well, but a great many were burned to a great degree. So what we have now, not just in the west, but in China also, are snippets of texts written by many great sages, not everything. By snippets, I mean out of a thousand, maybe 400 books. Out of 400, maybe 120 books, etc. Remember, Daoism was not called Daoism before Laozi. It was basically 方式(fangshi)= style of living. People never said they are Daoist, only that they follow they way or destiny, = 随缘 (suiyuan), or 修道(xiudao) = meaning to cultivate the way. They never labeled it that as a foundational term to describe their mind. It originally was made up of astrology, cosmology, agriculture, and societal ethics before Laozi came. Then soceity became more materialistic, egotistic, and he Laozi lays out a societal map so people can begin doing good things, and correcting their living style. Then they can be ready for cultivation. But it never reached on a mass societal scale like society was like when Shen Nong was around. The same phrase is spoken in Buddhism as well. And I heard that wisdom phrase spoken by a Muslim in regards to the Koran... hehe The phrase is a lesson on not talking too much of messy, flippant things. Not to use back talk, angry talk, jealous talk, and cover it up with fancy words that look like wisdom. Be still, non-dual, and calm in speech, character and behavior. That is a fundamental guideline for all humans to follow. Just because the person does not call themselves Daoist doesn't mean they are not cultivating the way=修道(xiudao) I have a story of such a meeting: I was on top of Taishan one morning,and walked into Bi Xia Ci (Azure Cloud Temple, home to Wang Mu) I didn't speak Chinese well enough, but I spoke with one of the monks there. He thought I was from Wudang Mountain because of my clothing and that I carried a sword with me. He complained that because I didn't know the terminology of Chinese Daoism, that my cultivation wasn't real. Then I said one sentence to him, which caused him to stop dead in his tracks... "regardless of the language, is Daoism so limited that the immortals and gods are too arrogant to teach in other languages than Chinese? " The next sentence I said was: " Language is what caused many sages to become demons. Regardless of the language, the overall truth can be comprehended with just one moment of stillness. No terminology can bring that kind of clarity to the mind. Only one's unmoved seeing." It was a very interesting day after that. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Ahhh Its a CITIBANK! haha Its true...there are two separate menus. The chinese menu has a better selection.. mainly the non-american flavor

The Elizabeth center is right on Elizabeth street. Why don't we meet inside there...? At the Elizabeth Center doors right next to the police precinct...? If one is walking towards the Manhattan bridge, then turn right onto Elizabeth st and stay on the right side of the street, walk down till you see Elizabeth Center..but you have to look at the stores for the name..hahaha I think that is right. If not...There is a bank right on the corner of Canal and Elizabeth, I believe. Maybe its a Chase bank. People wait in there all the times, especially in the rain. Peace, Lin

I'm good where ever we all go. Every place has veggies...doesn't matter to me. Peace, Lin

Namo Amitabha Buddha!

There is another one on Mott Street and Pell. Turn left on Pell street, and there is a Vegetarian Dim Sum house. Not only Dim Sum, but lots of other dishes in veggie style as well..basically anything..haha There are choices :-D Looking forward to meeting you all Peace, Lin

I'll be there too! Name the place... I live in Staten Island, and frequent Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Don't forget... "TM"

HAHAHAHAHAHA That was WONDERFUL!