林愛偉

Yes, and Some teachers would take a student if the student presents a good amount of money. (In China) Even if it seemed a teacher was being sincere, it is because of fate with that student. Which is not hard to create. All one needs to have in their mind when looking for a teacher, is a humble manner, and constantly intending to meet one. In the end, any teacher one finds, is not by chance. It is fate. Fate goes deeper, and is controlled by one's own mind. It can be changed, and can be fixed. Fixed means not changeable. Its quite easy to create affinities with people. Just keep in mind of meeting them, and with enough concentration, one will begin meeting people who know people... Peace and Blessings, Lin

I can picture that story.. lol My goal is to take the culture from the Chinese and Indian, and Japanese, from Buddhism and filter it out to a degree. Those cultures are beautiful indeed, but it develops a mark of what Buddhism should look like. Which is no problem if one can see past tradition and go directly to cultivation. But that is rare, and sometimes not even supported. If Buddhism doesn't resemble Chinese, or specifically other cultural traditions, it is disregarded, etc, etc etc. So I am taking it all and looking at what people popularize. Then I get rid of it, and present just the cultivation. If something from another culture of Buddhism seems to benefit others, then I'll find a way to integrate it and explain the functions of such so it doesn't make things flashy and "mysterious". The thoughts of mystery always steer people in swervy directions. Any who... lol I like your story brother Drew. Made me laugh and painted a nice picture of Master Chunyi Lin. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Fate is if you have affinities with that teacher, and the teachings. Nothing more

haha You are a good person Peace and Blessings !

Daoists usually look to the fate between them and a potential student. If the student has potential, and good karma with the teachings and or with the master as well, then the master would impart some methods to them. That is what having fate is in the Daoist school. Peace, Lin

His teachings have been in the U.S. for about 40yrs?...I believe... I could be wrong. Sleeping in lotus...NICE It means no more bed sores...lol

After the Ven. Master left, lots of things changed at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. I never been there, and never studied there.

Nice questions.. No, I'm not a lay monk in any fashion, and donot require any students or anyone coming to learn what I wish to share to take any kind of religious acts, or what not. How I have cultivated has been in the world within society, and all of everyone's ways. Keeping mindful and strict in not doing certain things led to how things are now for me. Taking vows isn't religious. Maybe the wording presents the attachment a lot of people have to it. I should say, Making promises to oneself towards attaining the desired result of their cultivation. My parents are both alive. My retreats in the monasteries have been just like my life outside the monastery. I wake up early, meditate and the whole day stay in the mindfulness of what is being done. Still dealing with my own desires, thoughts, and whatnot in the monastery as I do at home. As a lay person, as a monk is all the same, because where ever the mind is is where "you" are. I don't present anything of a religious tradition, because religious traditions bare the culture of the land it develops in. What I have is no different from secular and non secular Buddhist cultivation.... BUT I only present methods, not culture. Foundation for patience, compassion and wisdom, not marks of a specific culture and tradition. So, how I was raised in cultivation was to be of no marks... "be" is just to point to the focus of the meaning. Just No Marks. Every day meditate, every moment in meditation; eating, sitting, sleeping, cooking, walking, learning in school, teaching english, on the computer...all of it is cultivation. Keeping the mind in "check" watching for rising of emotions, views, desires. My training wasn't anything profound like the teachers you mention. I simply take what is presented and use it to cultivate the mind. We say, Cultivation is to eat the Bitterness of all things. How I teach the Mantra cultivation isn't of any cultural tradition, like Vajrayana of Tibet, and what not. It is simply sitting, meditating, reciting, and learning the meaning, discussing its functions and the like, and memorizing. To the best of my ability to comprehend the Buddha's teachings, I teach Buddhist cultivation...no traditions, not cultures...just simply cultivation. I learned everything at home, out in the street, talking to people, observing/being mindful of what passes through the mind and mind. I never locked on to religious ways...and though Buddhism has a percentage used as religion, it is only one method of cultivation of the Buddha's teachings. So, taking vows is not religious, adhering to precepts in Buddhism is not religious, bowing to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is not religious, lighting incense to them as well isn't religious also. It is people's minds which make something what it is, and build on it with ceremony and formalities within the culture. Though there is nothing wrong with culture and traditions, people tend to attach to them and make them...Dogmatic. Peace and Blessings Brother. Lin

There are so many people out in China who know bits and pieces of both Buddhism and Daoism, and so they claim to be teachers. There are martial artists that know more of the bits and pieces but claim complete teachings. They also have qigong methods they would teach somewhat openly. Daoist monks would teach, but if they don't know you, or feel no fate with you, they wouldn't give anything out. There are teachers out here, but they do keep quiet from public eye...gov. reasons...lol Finding one would be your blessings from heaven, for Daoism cultivates the Heavenly way, and Buddhism cultivates for any level of mind one wishes to attain...but mainly for becoming a Buddha...lol So finding a teacher as open as people are in the west is not going to happen, unless you know someone. Peace and Blessings, Lin

It is a sad thing indeed with what is happening in the world of Buddhism. Profit is the name of the game. They are taken under the influence of their desires, and influence of others. About the Maitreya Project out in India, I wrote several articles to the Buddhist Channel about placing a statue of a Buddha out ther displacing the villagers. I told them it was wrong and not actual Buddhist practice to do so. But, many Pop-Buddhists out there creamed for the big statue. Shows how much they really understand the Buddha Dharma. Also there is Afghanistan with the bombing of a Buddhist statue, several actually. People became upset when the Taliban ordered it done, but they never looked at why. THe bombings of Buddhist statues occured in Afghan. because one day some form of representatives from England went to the head of the Taliban and asked to repair the statues, and that they will pay for it The Taliban head was appalled because here in his country, people are starving, and dying, poor and no shelter and clothes, and here rich foreigners want to repair a statue that doesn't breathe. Because of ignorance and fanaticism, Buddhism will be resulted to the usual blind faith practices, and lose respect. Only Buddhists can destroy Buddhism, that is also the Sangha (community of monks) as well. You can probably find my articles on the Buddhist Channel still. Some are under Lin Zi Yi, some are under Lin Zi Quan in the "letters" section on the home page. Another load of information in this video, EndGame by Alex Jones. Peace and Blessings, Lin

maybe I wrote too much..hahaha I would have never wrote all that if no one asked. And since you asked, it felt like an honest inquiry, it was alright to post it. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Me too! Its going to be interesting indeed.

It political as usual. Special interests involved, so no one gets involved. Peace and Blessings.

Thank you for checking it out. Venerable Master Xuan Hua's words are Vajra...Diamonds cutting through the thickness of our afflictions. Peace and Blessings, Lin

Now learning cultivation without a physical being, only intuition and non physical guidance, takes alot of faith on the cultivator to trust what they are doing is proper...sometimes things can go wrong, but if your heart is compassionate, and you act on it, if you make sure to keep patience very close, and check your thoughts, you will be alright. Have no doubts, but always question and investigate your mind, thoughts, emotions towards things. It took me a long long time to have someone turn and say what I was doing is good, and proper. It took a big heavy worry off my shoulders. Though I knew what I was cultivating was wholesome, I received it all through meditation, not through a person. So I had to have a lot of faith during my younger years till I received certification of my methods, and guidance. It takes faith, yet it also requires patience, compassion, forgiving, no anger, no greed and not doing things that cause you to have emotional problems, etc. Peace and Blessings, Lin

haha the uncomfortable feeling of putting down afflictions is bliss...hahaha

Intent is very important, concentration and intent; will and intent, very important. YET, one may practice something that would eventually lead to their hurting other people while in the beginning of the practice be told it was good and compassionate, and proper. Their intent is to get good things, but the road they are taking is not pointing in the direction of wholesomeness. This is why the Buddha said to question everything and if it makes sense to logic and reason, after your own investigating, then follow it, cultivate it. So the statement on intent must be looked at carefully, because people will turn around and say that they could practice anything they want because they believe it will result in good things for people and themselves...but it wont. There is a difference between intent and proper cultivation, and intent and not knowing what is proper or not. Of course anything can be taken as dogma, but when a teaching is telling you to be careful, why disregard it as useless because it was a teaching in what people claim is religion? Investigate. People all over the world are taught bad and evil practices of qigong, and other cultivation methods. THey are told its alright, and to forget religion, and to not bother with the teachings of the Buddha Mind because it is religious dogma...What fools! One doesn't know something unless they investigate it fully, and still that knowing is of their own views. Unless the views have been put down. And if they have been put down from cultivation of good things, then that system of cultivation was proper. People label and label and disregard because of it, and ego. Break down the image one has of them self. That it so important if one is to attain the fruits of Bodhi. Becoming a God, immortal...not important and not so easy...lol stopping karma.. another not so easy task which CAN NOT BE DONE BY QI GONG...lol Peace and Blessings, Lin

>>humbly bows<< Proper meditation is the label of that which functions to reveal the original nature. Original nature is a label which points to that which is non-dual. We can keep goign on with the words, but really it is all word play. When associations are dropped, words are words, before they are dropped, they have meaning. Now, words only direct the mind to focus. Meditation is the action, the practice inwhich one can realize their potential in patience, awareness, mindfulness, and as a result wisdom. The "Proper" of proper meditation refers to the techniques utilized during the act of meditating (contemplating, concentrating) which lead to putting down views of ego, self others and life, methods to recognize the cause and conditions of the mind. The techniques are simply directives for the mind. For example; keep mind on the breath only, being aware of the in and out flow of breath. THen there are methods refering to emotions letting them arise, keep the mind on the breath, and investigate the cause of the arising emotion,, desire, thought, pain, memory, ego, views of ego, others, beings and a life. So we can say that "proper meditation", or even cultivation, without a traditional background, is simply that which keeps one from indulging in their 5 senses, and mind, and develops patience, compassion and wisdom. Each sense organ; nose, mouth, eyes, ears, touch and mind all pull the mind and energy to it, thus resulting in attaching to those sensations and experiences with a regard to the labeling of what is real and not. This is pointing to how the senses are all empty. --Another thread..lol Any technique that assists in turning the light inward to reveal one's original nature is proper, and those techniques, or methods, include anything which drops the attachments to senses, purifies and illuminates the senses, and results in wisdom, patience and compassion. Revealing one's original nature is to enlighten, bring the light of the mind back in, instead of spreading it thin to all our sensations and attachments to the 5 sense organs. But once that is done, its not over. Enlightenment is one thing, but perfecting it is another..lol You see, keeping in mind to receive, attain abilities, immortality, feelings of reassurance of one's progress actually hinder one's progress..lol With wisdom, attainment of abilities is easy, because you would have already known the function, cause and outcome of such things. Abilities without wisdom is like putting a loaded gun in a 5yr old's hands...high potential for hurting themselves and others. ------------------------ Some history on me; I was born in 1980, june 5th. My father cultivated Daoist philosophy, my mother cultivated spiritual abilities like seeing one's future, past, and present conditions, though she had them naturally, she didn't have a wisdom foundation, and thus experiences a life of emotional and physical suffering, as she still does. My 2nd eldest sister taught me meditation at age 8. It was her experiment on telepathy which drove her to teach me. We worked daily for hours on telepathic abilities and only kept it to ourselves. She was my first teacher of mediation. She was just becoming aware of her own abilities, and had no tradition. She taught through whatever method resulted in compassion and wisdom. Age 8 till 11 I cultivated sitting and lying meditation, and was taught about compassion. From that time,, I took a vow to teach about cultivation for my life's work, and that I wouldn't retreat from it. At age13 I learned fa gong (transference of energy for healing) through meditation only. No one taught me. I treated sick people, my mother included, friends and other family members. I began realizing more about Daoist practiced through my father's influence of Daoist philosophical studies. I began Shen Gong, Intuitive Spiritual Cultivation, which I learned through meditation on my own. Through this, I received many teachings through meditation, and my teachers came and went as they pleased. By 19yrs old I began martial arts, Wing Chun and Taiji Quan. The reason was for mindful cultivation. I hated the fact of hitting my fellow brothers, but accepted it after my 2nd yr. I learned Taiji Quan from Sifu Rudy Curry Jr. in Queens, as well as Yi Jin Jing, and several manners of standing Qigong, Neigong. From Sifu Rudy I also learned some Bagua Zhang, but from his disciple Novel Bell ( aka Black Taoist; BT) I learned 8 Qigong palms of Yin Style Bagua Zhang. Basically, all my cultivation came out of meditation. One technique, and with proper guidance of not getting attached to states and abilities, I was able to further my cultivation. I moved to China in 2003, with a lot of cultivation methods in my bag, and hopes for China. I get here and my mind shatters for its not China anymore. I cultivate patience and compassion. After 1 year in China my Buddhist Shifu appeared and taught me that all I learned was good, but there was a missing foundation of humility, and proper wisdom of the mind. once I went deeper into his teachings, everything changed instantly, and I saw the conditions of the mind which at one time led me to go up and down throughout my younger yrs. Soon after I realized that Daoist and Buddhist cultivation are only different by the cultivator. Once one realizes the functions of their illusions, their emotions, desires, thoughts, and sees them as empty, there is no real difference in Daoism and Buddhism. Soon after I took discipleship with my friend in the Daoist nunnery. She accepted me as a disciple of Quan Zheng Dao which cultivates Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian methods. She took me as a disciple as a form of sharing the lineage with em, but the teachings I already had through my younger yrs of cultivation and the entering porper Buddhist cultivation. So my Quan Zhen Dao Shifu only certifies what I have been doing. She told me she doesn't have to teach me anything...I have access to it already. So, my tradition started with no tradition, just mind. The causes were quite clear; my parents had ill relations with eachother, arguing, and craziness, but I never got effected by them negatively. I would say, "Wow, i don't want to be like that when I get older.." lol My parents were my greatest teachers in compassion and patience, my sister laid a path of cultivation out for me Everything else flowed right in. In Beijing 3yrs ago , I met one of my disciples, a Chinese girl, Buddhist. I described how I teach. She wanted to learn, and told me if I knew that it was all Buddhist teachings. I said no, and realized how it was all pretty much similar. Now, it is cultivation. You can say it is Buddhism without culture...simply cultivation. Daoist cultivation had the Chinese culture, and now anything that doesn't bare a mark of chinese flavor in Daoism is seen as not being Daoist. Buddhism mixes into the cultures.....because they were originally techniques, not religious cultural practices. My traditions now is Buddhism. Just Buddhism. In this, there is cultivation of wisdom, compassion and patience, spiritual abilities, Qigong and the like.. all because it is in Buddhism. Its just that energy and abilities aren't something we worry about. It is within our practices as a whole, not something to practice afterwards.Yet, not everyone cultivates it that way. Abilities come with wisdom, safely, so in this manner a "Buddhist" shouldn't go praising spiritual abilities only. This is a long post. Maybe I misunderstood, and didn't have to write this much.. haha I'm a simple person you know. All of my cultivation, all things I attained, are only results from cultivation... I didn't really attain anything. Its nothing special about me. It is the method. The cultivator only practices, and gets results, but it is the teachings which are the foundation, not the cluttered mind of the cultivator. I take no credit in it all. It is all the outcomes of proper Buddhist cultivation. Peace and Blessings, Lin

I agree with you Hagar.on the Dogmatism fact..and yet anything can be taken dogmatically. People will take it, or anything to be dogmatic teachings...lol and they have haha Not saying you do, its just that anything that is believed in , can be taken without questioning. It just so happens that I don't blindly take anything to be fact without investigating it myself. Also, one doesn't have to read a teaching to know the truth of that teaching. What I have written is not taken directly from any text, any beliefs, any ideas. Yet it is written in meaning in various sutras. I just hope that people start asking questions. I posted some things on the Foundation forum and received replies like "... the masters taking lives of bulls are Arhats...have left the cycle of birth and death and when they kill the bulls they are doing the same thing for them..." Talk like this is ridiculous! No one, not even the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas can take a life and make someone end the cycle of birth and death. If they could, they would, but they can't ..lol A disciple of the Buddhas is never to kill anything for any reason. Those people killing bulls are simply not Buddhist. They may wear clothing that resembles Buddhist monks, but they are surely not authentic, disciples of the Buddha. This is what I mean by people taking anything and simply believing it to be fact without questioning. If people don't believe anything I say, then don't just oppose, question, investigate your mind, and find the truth. I don't write to preach. My goal is to make people uncomfortable. So a word of advice, and thank you Hagar for pointing it out overall.... Don't believe anything anyone tells you, Not even the Buddhas....Question them, personally investigate your mind through meditation and contemplation...then and only then will you find the truth. Blind faith was never part of Buddhism, glad for that, yet living beings are living beings...they are subject to their own afflictions, mind. They can take a good thing and turn it into a bad thing. I could have made this post much simpler...: there is an inherent knowing of what is proper and what isn't. If doing what is proper benefits people without them having to know that it does good, its just believed, then that dogmatic practice is great. It is people that label things and get stuck to those labels. They label something and then disregard it for what its worth because of that label. Peace and Blessings, Lin

The idea of minimizing suffering is a good one. Now, we can all attain eyes to see the cause and outcomes without having to do something. It just takes cultivation. So, an idea is good, but overall outcome..longterm and short term, must be considered. It may feel good for now, but in the end may not help at all... lol Peace and Blessings, Lin

I don't get it... What are we soapboxing?

I changed the name of this article. It is now called "Questioning the Path" obviously...lol Peace and Blessings, Lin

God like status through Qigong...only through virtue...unless one becomes a demon god. Ending all Karma.. haha that means they wouldn't need their body...not only that, but have unlimited knowledge of all things, no confusion, attained great patience, wisdom and compassion. If they have that and ended the cycle of birth and death, when they walk they wouldn't touch the ground, they wouldn't need to sleep, they wouldn't get hungry, no sexual desire, no desires, no attachments to emptiness, nothing in the realm of afflictions whatsoever. They would never get sick, and can transform their bodies if they were gods. Also, if they had ended their karma, they would be higher than gods. To top that all..they would never need to buy a plane ticket to travel anywhere in the world. They would have no ego, no ideas of a self, no ideas of others and no ideas of a life. Enlightenment is not attained. It is revealed. What is revealed? That which is not defiled. What is defilements? That which is confused, causes confusion, and results in confusion. What then, is confusion? THat which is not directly pointing to the non dual nature of the original mind. One can't end karma through qigong.. haha One can't become a god of "positive manners" through qigong, only a demon...UNLESS one cultivates virtue and moral....Because only wholesome practices of virtue and moral get one in the non demonic heavens. Everything else is a direct path to ill things. VIRTUE VIRTUE VIRTUE... That and meditation, proper meditation, will assist one in attaining enlightenment. BUT enlightenment isn't it. THere's more.. getting enlightened is one thing, but there is perfecting one's conduct, virtue, moral, patience, compassion and wisdom. Once this is perfected....IT IS CERTAIN all karma has ended, and one becomes Buddha. Peace and Blessings, Lin