shanlung

I love to talk except I cannot remember the words. Idiot of the unremembered Tao

Master Liu can also brew a very good cup of tea. Not by using electric kettle which did not exist in his time at any rate. He did not even use charcoal stove to heat the kettle of water. All he needed to do was to place the kettle on his dantien for the water in kettle to bubble and boil. Delighting no less than Bodhidarmo who dropped by to see him in that brothel. The saga did not record if Bodhidarmo enjoyed the girls there of if the girls enjoyed Bodhi or not. Exciting parts always missing. Idiotic Taoist

Liu Changsheng, 1147-1203, came readily to my mind. Liu ChangSheng used a brothel to enter the higher realms of Taoism and becoming an Immortal. If that was not bad enough, he financed his stay in the brothel by picking up stones and turning them into gold. It was on record that he could titillate and delight 6-7 ladies at the same time in the brothel and well liked there at least for the gold that he spend. A real through and through crook and criminal, so do not listen to your mom. Crime does pay, or at least finance a good stay in a brothel. Idiot who want to be a partner in crime and brothel works

The tastiest of all the froggies will be this one. Must be savour slowly in the mouth. Will help you find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow too. Idiot that love Dendrobatids

Those froggies quite small. Might need a dozen of each to fill the tummy. I heard they are much tastier when harvested from the wild. And should be taken with amanita mushrooms with garlic and onions. Can even turn an Idiot into a wise and holy man. After all, do you want or think you will live for ever? Taoistic Idiot.

The blue frog looks very yummy. Maybe too much Yin. So best to be followed by eating that red frog for the Yang to balance. Those two combined will help you to penetrate the fundamental mystery of the Tao without having to use superfluous words. Idiotic Taoist

Perhaps it might be a telling of me to let go. Those who read above would have known that Immortal I met gave me a momento of a Milofor.in 1991 That was always with me. kept in my backpack which you have seen in almost all my blogs. Then in Oct 2014 , I was in Nepal Khatmandu. I stayed there a while to enjoy that city after an absence of 30 years or so. That was also about the time of the Dashain, a festival that celebrate the victory of good over evil. So naturally I stayed on for that delaying my going to Pokhara and going on the Annapunna trek. The 8th day of Dashain , Maha Ashtami: Wednesday, 21-10-2015 , was a big day that involved in the beheading of countless buffalos and goats. I was at that 30 years ago. In the days when cameras are loaded with rolls of 36 shots and this time I had electronic camera loaded with countless shots. I was in the Khatmandu Durbar Square and on top platform of one of the pavilions. My money and passport was in body belt and pouch hang on my neck. My backpack had nothing of value compared to what I that I had safely on my body. That backpack still had about 3-400USD I considered as loose change of SGD and Malaysian Ringgits, and tele photo lense of my Olympus. I left the backpack on the ground next to my leg as I sat on the step. A commotion came and the Kumari, the living Goddess of Nepal was walking. Since she was a Goddess and her feet must not touch the ground. So they were placing rolls of silk on the ground and a huge crowd was around her. Even on top of the platform, I could barely see her. I stood up to try to get some shots of her. It was only a couple of seconds. And in that couple of seconds my bag was gone. I cared little for the money left in the bag or the telephoto lens. My priceless Milofor was in that bag. Maybe thrown away after they strip it of money, tele lens and my Buck folding knife. I made offer of 1000 USD for the return via the friendly staff of the place in stayed in (Secret Garden). I was actually prepared to pay more, 5 times more. I have to accept eventually that I never will see that Milofor again. Maybe that was for the good. Maybe I should not remain attach to anything or object. And anyway, that Milofor , with that Immortal, remain forever with me in my heart. Idiot on the Path

Deng & Blofield works. Is it ethical? http://thedaobums.com/topic/27637-deng-blofield-works-is-it-ethical/ The first post in that thread =================================================== Posted 22 March 2013 - 07:27 AM After my recent trip on a fruitless search for the Tao in the lake gardens, street side restaurants and mountains around Taiping, I needed some rest at home. My fingers did some walking and I stumbled onto the old Usenet Alt.Philosophy.Taoism where I had roamed about as the Idiotic Taoist. I came across a very long piece that I wrote in about 1996. Which might still be fascinating reading for those interested in the Path of Tao even if we still have not even come close to agreeing what is the Tao about and what is Taoism or even what a Taoist is. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ============================================================== This was posted into apt around end Oct 1996. Instead of fiddling around with my floppies, I use Dejanews and managed to locate these letters once more. Jester ahem! As I have said, I have been in this place before and not just for a day. ====================================================== Deng Ming Dao's Chronicles have sections which are so similar to other really noted Taoist writers. It is unfortunate that my library is not with me right now and I cannot check and quote the other corresponding parts from them. However, I do have a couple of John Blofeld books (first written by him in 1960 or earlier) with me. There are two letters following this posting. The first letter contains a section from Mr Blofeld book. The next letter contains excerpts from Deng Chronicles which looked grotesquely similar to Mr Blofeld. That next letter also contains portions from Deng so strange that you best read them for yourself. This is not the first time that these letters were posted here. However, entities unknown to me have gone and deleted them soon after their posting. Warmest regards The Idiotic Taoist ========================================================= This was originally posted on the Tao-List sometime back in Mar 96. ********************************************************************************* I just finished reading 'Chronicles of TAO' by Deng Ming Dao. It was supposedly the story of Deng's Taoist master Kwan Saihung, tracing the education, martial arts and spiritual, he had in China Hua Shan to the time he crossed over to America. After all those years of real martial arts experience, Kwan then went on to 'learn' boxing eventually taking part in the Golden Gloves. The absurdity that after training in many forms of the highest martial arts he was badly beaten when he tried boxing for the first time even though the book went on to make Kwan the 'winner' after due training.( I remembered my boxing for the first time with gloves when I was in the Army with my even more limited background in karate/kungfu without any trouble). Not too long into that book, it was easy enough from the inconsistencies that it was more a novel rather than a true story that it made itself out to be. There were far too many instances of 'americanised' behaviour and thinking, typical of that make belief of David Carradine's Shaolin temple fantasy to make that book believable. There were certain parts which were true, but again, while 'Lobsang Rampa' books also did have some truth it, it sure does not make those books true or that the monk 'Lobsang Rampa' truly exists in the past now residing as a 'spirit' in an Englishman. I guess that people being people, the only point that really matters is the 'angle' they can get in making of money, and in this 'New Age', Taoism is as good as any an angle to make money. What bothers me is that in their making that kind of money, they had no qualms in spinning tales that may well mislead others really searching for the way. Further more, tales need not be spun as the truth is often stranger than fiction. There are also parts of Deng's Chronicles that bears very great similarity to other books written by noted authors written many many years ago. Perhaps it may be that great minds do think alike, but on the other hand, some authors need to be 'inspired' by other writers even to the following of their mannerisms and phrasing of words. I am appending below an extract from John Blofeld's book 'Taoism, the road to Immortality'. Mr Blofeld have spend many years in China and travelled and stayed at many Taoist temples in the past before Communism came. I rather believe in Mr Blofeld account of a Taoist recluse rather than that of Deng Ming Dao. My apologies to those who have read Blofeld books, but this is meant for those who have not read it yet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (In Blofeld's words) This final story of immortals is very different from the others, being no legend but a factual account of the attainment of immortality in the true Taoist sense of that word. I hear it years ago from a Taoist of Mount Heng and, though I cannot recall the actual examples he gave me of the 'double talk' with which Taoists clothe their secrets, I can vouch for the closeness of my version to the original in spirit if not in detail. The recluse who relate the story, told me that he was a 'third generation spiritual descendent' of the White Heron Immortal. In the reign of the Hsien Feng Emperor(1851-62), there lived on the slopes of Mount Heng a recluse known as the Narrow-Waisted_Gourd Immortal, more commonly called Hulu Weng, the Gourd Ancient One, or it may have been Hu Lao-weng which has the same meaning. Besides a few middle-aged disciples, he was attended by two children who were supposed to be boys, though some said they were his granddaughters, the offspring of a son conceived before he retured from the world of dust. Strangers coming to pay their respects were invariably received by one of these children, who had some skill in distinguishing false from real. Those whom the children reported to be unlike followers of the Way were generally told that the Immortal, being deep in meditation, might not be able to receive them for several days to come. If, however, these guests persisted and asked that lodging be provided until such a time as the Immortal found it convenient to bestow some of his precious time on them, than coolness vanished and they were made welcome. Perhaps their desire would be fulfilled that very evening, the Immortal suddenly emerging from his inner chamber, crying:"Well,well. How may an old and ignorant fellow serve Your Honours?' One day there arrived from the capital a scholar surnamed Pai who, at the age of 30, was already a little stooped and short-sighted from too much study of the Confucian classics. He seemed at once distraught and impatient, so it was just as well that the little girls reported favourably on the state of his heart and mind. Upon coming into the Immortal's presence, he was with difficulty restrained from kneeling and knocking his head on the floor as before a Confucian dignitary. "I come to Your Immortality", he cried, "as a very last resort. Either you must show me the face of truth or I shall dispatch myself here and now to the yello springs with the help of my silken girdle. All my life I have been searching for truth, pouring over the classics, listening to so-called sages in vain and cultivating the company of eminent Confucian scholars. A brilliant offical career lay before me until, all of a sudden, I realised that all that talk of benevolence, filial piety and propriety is so much claptrap! What li[propriety] conveivably have to do with the Great Way? Does cultivating the Tao require that we walk or bow in this way or that? Of course not! Your Immortality must help me to make up quickly for wasting my whole life upon such nonsense!" Impressed by his sincerity, the Gourd Immortal invited his official to stay for a while and receive 'such poor teaching as an ignorant old fellow has to give'. Pai was delighted , but the next day a horrible disappointment awaited him, for the Immortal spoke to him in terms that seemed utterly at variance with his own conceptions of sagehood and wisdom. This was the substance of Hulu Weng's first lesson to the bewildered scholar: "I cannot describe to you the indescribable, but I can teach you several by no means inconsiderable arts - invisibility, flying without wings, invulnerability to sword or serpent's fang - you know the kind of thing. Here, then, is your syllabus of study. Seeking the Mysterious Portal, you must first provide yourself with the wherewithal to bribe the gurads and render yourself invisible that you may slip through unnoticed. That sort of thing is not to be mastered in a day. Next you will have to learn how to fly thence to the courts of heaven, make your way to the central chamber, surprise Lord Lao[Lao-tze] at breakfast, snatch up his flask of golden elixir, slay those who will come running in to rescue it, break down the walls of the sky-castle and return to earth an immortal! A man of your determination has but to follow my course of instruction to be certain of sucess." Hoping with all his heart that the Immortal was just having a little joke at his expense, Pai gazed at him earnestly, trying to read his expression. Alas, his face was calm and solemn, and his eyes shone with an unearthly lustre that made Pai wonder if he were not dealing with a dangerous fanatic. Had he travelled post-haste from the capital, scarcely dismounting for weeks on end, forgetful of food and sleep, merely to be told the kind of nonsense that any child can find for himself in the sort of books he borrows from servants without letting his parents know? The thought was intolerable. The next day, long before dawn, he rose and packed his few belongings meaning to slip away without having to make embarassing excuses. He was tying up his bundle when one of the little girls came in with a pot of tea. Seeing how things were, she smiled and said: "Please, Uncle, do not leave us son soon. If you do, I shall get the blame for not looking after you properly. You would not like that to happen, would you, Uncle? I know why you are angry. The Immortal said something you did not like, isn't it so? Have you heard of mountain divinities pretending to be horrible re-toungued demons just to test the pilgrims' courage? You wouldn't be taken in would you, Uncle?" Rather than cause trouble for the friendly child, Pai decided to delay his departure for a few days, since it would be quite impossible to admit the true cause of his wanting to leave. Meanwhile the lessons continued arousing such interest that the few days became many and, in the end, Pai never left the hermitage again, staying there in all for some seventy or eighty years! Since a prerequisite for flying without wings is weightlessness, the first lessons were directed as 'trhowing things away'. Unlike many others, Pai had discarded greed and ambition before coming to the mountain, but he still had cumbersome baggage to be disposed of - excessive ardour, for example, over-eagerness to succeed and over anxiety lest he fail. He was taught to lose all sense of hurry, to subdue his tendecy to strain. He had to learn to let limslef to be borne along like a floating cloud on the chi of heaven. Simultaneously, he set himself to acquire the art of invisibility. For this, stillness was required and the capacity to be as unobtrusive as a lizard on a branch, mingling with the pilgrims who came on festival days - there, yet unnoticed. The bribe to be offered to the guardians of the Mysterious Portal turned out to be a vow that, if the golden elixir were won, Pai would not depart into final bliss before founding and nursing a line of disciples capable of passing on the recipe for immortality to future generations. As to the Portal itself, he learnt that it stands in a region known as the Precious Square Inch lying just behind the mid-point between the eyes.There came a day when he could at any time behold the rays of heavenly light that are forever streaming through this gate but remain invisible until the adept has learnt how to develop his inner seeing. Learning to fly proved the longest and most ardous task, requiring that his physical endowments - semen and subtle essence, breath and blended personal and cosmic vitality, spirit both personal and cosmic - be transmuted into a spirit-body able to soar, during meditation, beyond the stars. Entering the courts of heaven meant achieving at will a state of ecstatic trance. Passing into the central chamber was the fruit of a yoga for drawing up the final product of blended essence, vitality and spirit from the region below the heart to the ni wan cavity just below the top of the skull; snatching the golden elixir from Lord Lao meant causing the perfected elixir to descend (and reascend) the central pschic channel running between the pelvis and the ni wan. Slaying the guardians was a term for countering the illusory ego's final struggles to retain the recognition hitherto given to it as an individual entity. Breaking down the walls was the supreme act, destruction of the last barriers between the adept's being and the Source of Being, so as to attain immortality in the true and only meaningful sense of those words. It signified in fact, 'return to the Source', the be all and end all of Taoist endeavour, of cultivation of the Way! The former Confucian scholar, having by devoted labour and with the unstinted help of his teacher attained to immortal state within a mere decade of his distraught arrival, was destined to make the Gourd Immortal's hermitage his permanent home. Its former owner, before 'soaring among the stars on the back of a dragon', confirmed Pai as his spiritual successor. Pupils of Pai's pupils were still to be found there in the 1930s and it was probably their pupils who were truned when the red tide reached Mount Heng around 1950! ----------------------------------------------------- Warmest regards The Idiotic Taoist 2nd letter Continuation of my earlier letters on this Deng's Chronicles ************************************************************************* You recalled two weeks ago when I typed out the piece by John Blofeld, I said it was to cleanse my soul after reading the Chronicles of Tao purportedly the story of the Taoist Master that Deng Ming Dao claimed was his master. I know I have hurt some of the people in this list who thought highly of Deng when I wrote what I wrote with my 'heart-mind' and not being very explicit why I felt such a way. That piece by Blofeld was a 'finger pointing to the moon' as I thought that it would immediatly be clear when I downloaded that work of Blofeld. Perhaps people have not read that 'Chronicles' or have forgotten what they read and remembered only a warm glow when Deng's name was mentioned. I now write with my 'logical-mind'. In case Deng whipped up another book or maybe set up a 'Temple of Immortal Tao' for his master and pass the hat for donations. Deng's Chronicles, have been so full of inconsistencies in martial arts (Shaolin based martial arts taught in Wudang Mountains???)that it is really a sick joke and can be treated as a D grade pulp fiction novel. The masters Kwan Sai Hung claimed he learned under like the Taiji MASTER Yang Chengfu died in 1936, at the time Kwan claimed he was learning Shaolin style martial arts. Same for other MASTERS that were listed such as Chen Weiming, Sun Lutang Hsingyi/Pakua and Zhang Zhaodong of pakua. After all those listed Inner Martial Arts masters Kwan 'trained' under (introduction page 2), the rest of the book talks on Shaolin martial arts he trained under instead. I did not even comment on the miraculous travels Kwan made even with his uncle. In his Deng's words --------------------------------------- Chronicles page 329 He eased the tension of the two Taoists' deaths by wandering. Accompanying an uncle who was a wealthy fur trader, or going alone by bicycle, he toured Germany, France, and Eastern Europe, even though World War II was in progress. He found charm and beauty wherever he went, and had taken sentimental likings to the Black Forest, bridges over the Danube, the sound of Chopin. He loved to stay in alpine villages and appreciated the hospitality that people proffererd even to strangers. Though the land had been devastated, he took it all in, and the enchantment of a foreign land was mixed with enthusiasm of his youth. For a time, he had even wanted to move to Europe, but his only friends were members of a dying aristocracy. They could offer him no solace. ------------------------------------------------------ I am not sure fur will be traded in those part of the world during WW II. You all judge the possibility of one/two Chinese travelling merrily in Germany, France and Eastern Europe during the WW II staying in Black Forest and all that stuff above. And the second last sentence?...I checked it and typed like it is in the book. I only can conclude that portion was 'inspired' from something else he read without too much understanding. What blew my fuse is below. As written by Deng in his 'Chronicles of Tao', page 296/297. ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the midafternoon, Slender Gourd took him to a shaded corner of the broken-down, weed-invaded courtyard. "My brother and I will both teach you," he said. "I will first outline the method of cultivating the Way." "Let me complete what I began last night. You must seek the Mysterious Portal. But it is guarded. You must have an offering to first bribe the guards and then the ability to be invisible so that you may slip through unnoticed. With these preparations, you must then learn to fly to heaven, surprise Lao Tzu in his chambers, snatch up the flask of golden elixir, slay the defenders, break down the palace walls, and return to earth an immortal!" "This is like the opera 'Monkey Makes Havoc in Heaven' commented Saihung. {Comment - that episode referred to, of the Monkey God Sung Wu Kung is nothing at all like what is written} "Yes, but this is no opera," said the master severely. "sit down and listen to me. The first thing is the bribe for the guards." "What is that?" "Gold and jewels do not move the demon generals. It is the human spirit. Your bribe is a vow that should you attain the golden elixir that will liberate you from this earthly plane, you shall not depart into the infinite before teaching others and continuing the lineage." "I promise. Iwill do everything I can to walk the holy path," said Saihung." Master, i will do anything to succeed." "Not so fast," cautioned Slender Gourd. "You are obviously a man of determination, but you must maintain a certain perspective. For this brings up the question of flying. Flying means weightlessness. Such lightness means shedding weight. Your emotional burden is overeagerness to succeed and anxiety about failing. Gain and loss are not to be taken to heart. You must leave these attitudes behind. Do you understand?" "Yes, Master." "Invisibility, as you said last night, signifies stillness in mediation. With it, you can slip through the Mysterious Portal. This gateway is in the region known as the Precious Square Inch in the center of the head at eyebrow level. It is through this gateway that you will someday glimpse the divin light that is always there. When you can unify semen, breath, and spirit, you will soar to heaven - that is to say that you raise this essence to the Mysterious Portal. Snatching the golden elixir means thatyour channels are now open and that your energy breaches the Mysterious Portal. But at that final stage, the guardians will appear, and you will have to slay them." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Forgive me for not continuing on with the rest of what Deng have written. I believe you all will agree that it is a very very remarkable similarity to that of Blofeld and his conversations with the Taoist master when Blofeld travelled in China in the 1930s.(If any newbies missed out on those letters I send 2 weeks ago, I will be happy to send it if you drop me a line) Deng even put in that not_so_stupid sentence ' "This is like the opera 'Monkey Makes Havoc in Heaven' commented Saihung.' I can only conclude that he is not satisfied with 'lifting' that part, that sentence was to innuendo that his story shared 'common origin' with that of Blofeld, in case you may happen to have read John Blofeld. And unless you happened to know Chinese classics well and know that there is no such thing in the Monkey Makes Havoc that Deng elude to, Deng would have succeeded in what he set out to do, using 'inspired' writings of other works to 'prop' up his story of his 'master'. I have not read and have no reason to read his '365 Tao'. I know people who read it said it was good. But given his 'Chronicles', I can only assume that the 'good' in the 365 Tao must have shared remarkable similarity with other good Taoist books. And instead of reading about them through Deng, I rather read those books directly instead. Your comments are most welcomed. Warmest regards The Idiotic Taoist ========================================== Your Idiot on the Path

My thoughts on wuwei. As likely to be wrong as others are right. After all, I am the Idiot here. http://www.shanlung.com/oldwuwei.html Might give you a laugh though. Idiot on WuWei

If my new avatar amused you, this is where that came from Tinkerbell was that creature that made me unable to find even that 60-90 minutes daily to keep ticking over in taijichuan. Even more so when I knew fajing was within my grasp. I was doing that on a one in three attempts. When I failed, I lead the return with tingjing until the time was right for yet another fajing. To compensate, she was my companion and daughter that walked and flew with me into Tao by sprinkling fairy dust into my soul. Those with puerile interest in seeing more of her on bike can see Tinkerbell on motorbike // Jackie, the Greater Indian Hill Mynah and his treats I gladly gave that 60-90 minutes up for the extra time to be with her. The only entity that to date I flew half way around the world on almost yearly basis, for over ten years now, to be with for she gave magic into my life. Through her,and other birdies and beasties, I injected doses of Tao into birdie and beastie forums without them ever complaining I sometimes talked more on Tao then on birdies. But it was the flowing with the Tao that allowed me to do what they dreamed of. That to do what I have done with cat getting with me into water was all part of the Tao. Dommie at the beach again Ramadhan 2010 Not that I am sure if folks here will not scream at me for introducing a birdie , or beastie, into their holy forums of talking Tao here and Tao there and Wuwei up and Tze Ran down and missing herds of dancing gorillas in their meditative blissing out. As if they are the arbiter of what is Tao and what is not Tao, or what is taiji or not taiji. And those that scream and want to protect purity of Tao from being poluted by talks of non Tao can scream away. I am all ears. Idiot lurching on the Path

My innate puerile curiosity got fired up, wondering if it was only me who could not take photos of Hui Neng. So I turned Google to the task. Lo Behold! Other photographers did manage to shoot his body, and you can see the sprawling ground of NanHuaSi , the temple I stayed in for a few days that time long long ago. https://www.google.com.sa/search?q=南華寺&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=h-zmVOCILIOyUYiSgIAL&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=965

In talking of HuiNeng, I was actually by his side and looking up at him. Before you think I am another outrageous claimer, even if I am no Russian with pointy elbows, have a look at my account and you decide if I was beside HuiNung and looking up at him. In this case, no photos were taken of him. You will understand when you read my account. Up to you to believe that or whatever you want to believe. From yet another of my Livejournal entry Taiping thoughts //Camera malfunction at NanHwaShi//Combat Taijichuan -some notes http://shanlung.livejournal.com/141331.html Camera malfunction at NanHwaShi I had made entries elsewhere that I thought I should include into the livejournal. You recalled my Fragments of earlier memories http://shanlung.livejournal.com/111670.html I told about that entity which fogged up my camera and my wife camera. That was not the only time cameras malfunctioned. There was another of such occurence. http://thetaobums.com/topic/24841-fragments-of-earlier-memories-of-taiwan/page-2 aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Posted 17 October 2012 - 02:42 PM It was the recent discussions on the 6th Patriach HuiNeng that brought this back from my memories. It was in the mid 1990s where I was living in a small fishing village Sai Kung in the New Territories of Hongkong. Which was next door to Guangzhou. I made a lot of small trips into Guangzhou, and a lot of longer trips into far flung parts of China. But this was one of the smaller trip into the province of Guangzhou. To Shaoquan and a temple NanHwaSi 南華寺 near that town. And later on you realised why I wrote of that in this particular thread. Travels in those days were nothing like the travelling in China of nowadays. Buses were crowded and roads small and potholed. Money, especially USD was a lot bigger than, and pace of life much slower. NanHwaSi was a vast sprawling Zen monastery with history stretching back over a thousand years and more. One of the reasons why I went to NanHuaSi was the purported mummifed remains of the 6th Patriach HuiNeng in the monastery. I have said HuiNeng went on to settle in PoLin Monastery. That was correct. That was the name when he went there in 700AD. Song Dynasty Emperor Taizong changed the name to NanHwaSi in 968AD. Which was why the mummified remains of HuiNeng was in Nanhwasi. I stayed over in the domitories of NanHwaSi for a few nights. Ample time to explore the vast grounds of Nanhwasi. And to see, taste and smell the goings and the rituals of the temple which started before the break of dawn. The crystal clear sound of a bell with the beating throbbing of the wooden fish interlace with the chants of prayers. How much of the temple was old and how much rebuilt I could not tell. Apparently horrors of Chinese civil war aka the Red Guards visited this place. Only the prestige of departed Patriach Hsu Yun saved this old temple from even worse horrors. For those who do not know, Hsu Yun was the acknowledged Patriach of all Zen temples be them North or South. HuiNeng body was behind glass panels. I looked as closely as I could and was disappointed that it looked like carved out of wood. Apparently it was truly mummified. Japanese occupation during WW2 examined the body to show bones and internal organs. HuiNeng was very highly respected by the Japanese and also the presence of Hsu Yun was very highly regarded. There were signs and posters that no photography allowed of HuiNeng's mummy. In those days, only the posters were there with no custodians. The only human or humanoid in the room was yours truly and his friend and HuiNeng. I took a few photos with flash. Then I turned off the flash to take even more photos in case the glass reflect the flash.. I eventually went back to Hongkong to see the digital photos I had taken with my Olympus Photos of the NanHwaSi were beautiful and clear, of the temple and of the grounds. All the photos taken of HuiNeng, with the flash, and without the flash, were all fogged over. All photos before , and after were ok. This was in about 1996, way before that strange incident with my camera and my wife's camera of the little road side temple in 2002 as I related in Fragments. When I found the cameras could not shoot that temple, I recollected the incident of NanHwaSi immediately there and then. And as that entity fingered my hard drive, non of the photos of NanHwaSi can now be seen, unfogged or fogged, and many other photos of my travelling about in China, near and far. Idiot on the Path

Then you will like even more the continuation of Yingshiong. I reported that on Apr 2014 in my livejournal End of Dubai chapter// Colugo again // Yingshiong Reunion & Tinkerbell // Taijichuan at Koh Phagnan shanlung.livejournal.com/145170.html I extract from above what happened. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Yingshiong Reunion & Tinkerbell I have not been using much of Facebook in the past. But in the last 3 months, I discovered Facebook could be used in interesting ways such as capturing snippets that I felt too short for Livejournal. Those snippets grew and grew. As you can see from this entry which encapsulate only a bit. I had to leave out the baby bat that my wife discovered and my attempt to keep that insectivore bat alive via kitty mash. And kitty mash became a bloody gourment dish for the kitties. I even had to eat the salmon bits (discards from human sashimi grade salmon)I bought for the kitties when I found that to be more fresh and more tasty than what I bought for myself. By friending me in Facebook, you will see a lot more. I had not thought of seeing Tinkerbell this year. But a call with Mr Yu over Chinese New Year told me that Tinkerbell was plucking. My planned retirement checkout of Nepal Pokhara was placed on hold and changed to a visit to Taiwan this year. With that , I will switch to extracts from my Facebook. That a tiny 32 grams bird could remember me 7-8 years after less than a year with me. What more for parrots and bigger birds? Livejournal allows one to have more photos and write more and better organised than Facebook. So I thought I better update my Livejournal as the Taiwan trip will be on in a couple of days. And followed by a month in Bali and Lombok Extracts from Facebook aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Facebook 26 March 2014 A bit of the background to that. You knew I given up Yingshiong the white rumped shama to the Jurong Bird Park in 2005. I refused blank cheque offers so that he could fly in huge aviaries in JBP. I went back to see him in 2008 Shama Yingshiong - Final Closure http://shanlung.livejournal.com/2008/04/10/ Then I was there and wrote of that about a year ago uncertain if I seen Yingshiong New camera at Jurong Bird Park // Shades of Yingshiong http://shanlung.livejournal.com/142032.html I was afraid of asking for Yingshiong as that was so many years ago, even if it seem to me just a short while back. What if I was told Yingshiong died or they at the JBP do not know what I was talking about. After all, they have thousands of birds, bigger and more valuable than a tiny white rumped shama. I now cut to a recent posting I did in my facebook You know I do not have birdies now and not have any until I find that place I will retire in where ever that might be. I thought my interactions with birdies will be restricted to what I can shoot in my camera even though I got myself a year pass into Jurong Bird Park. I also got a year pass into Singapore Zoo , and a year pass into Gardens by the Bay. But perhaps my interactions with birds might be more than just looking at them. I accepted an offer to be a Docent of Wildlife Reserves Singapore , an offer made to me I suspect largely because I am a year pass holder and not because of me as Shanlung. That will give me free and unlimited access into the Zoo and JBP. I am still undergoing training to be Docent in the JBP. That depends also on my being able to pass the tests they conduct. And my being in Singapore long enough (remember I am about to go on my walkabout to check out retirement places). In a strange way, I will be having a lot to do with all kinds of parrots from African greys to Hyacinth Macaws, white rumped shamas to green leaf birds, and Hornbills, and raptors and more. See what Jurong Bird Park is about. I strongly suggest that those planning to visit JBP for the first time should allocate an entire day here at the least. You might even see and talk to me as one of your guide into the bird world. http://www.birdpark.com.sg/ I was assigned to the station of my choice and into the JBP. In last weekend, 22 March 2014, I and others were at the JBP for station training. Part of the training was a guided walk into the South East Asian aviary. When we were there, I saw a white rumped shama flying in the huge walk in aviary and not in the side aviaries of that SEA exhibit. That shama flew in front of me a couple of times. After that walk and the training session was over, I finally gathered my courage and asked that guide how long he was in JBP. If he told me he was there for 5 years or so, I would not ask if he known Yingshiong. He told me he was there for 15 years. I then asked if he knew of Yingshiong with my heart in my mouth. To my surprise, he told me yes, he know of Yingshiong. And that he was flying about in that huge walk in aviary. He asked how I knew. I then told him I am the Shanlung who gave him up. He smiled and said that yes, he been to my web pages a long time ago but had not known I was among the latest batch of Docents. I smiled too. That likely it was Yingshiong that flew a couple of time in front of me. And since I am a Docent there, I will be seeing a lot more of Yingshiong. And I bought my ticket to Taiwan , Apr 10-24, where I will be seeing Tinkerbell again. Next extract from facebook aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Facebook extract 30 March 2014 On the 26 March, I wrote that I might have seen Yingshiong my old shama. Go back to that entry if you have not seen that. Anyway, today on 30 March, was another of the Docent training at JBP from 1 to 3 pm. When that was over, I walked out of JBP with the others in my group. I was not certain if I want to check if YS was there and if he still knew me. I was a bit of a coward. I then retraced my steps and went back into JBP. I am still a Friend of Birds and a yearly pass holder to walk into JBP and Singapore Zoo. I was glad not many people were in the South East Asia rain forest exhibit. With a heavily planted over center section walk in aviary and with hundreds of birds of different color and sizes there. I walked and called “Yingshiong come come come”. Nothing came. I tried that a few times , glad no one was there. I reached the far end and saw a little shama high above me on a branch. I was not even sure if that was Yingshiong as those tiny white rumped shama looked so much alike. I stood there watching him for ten minutes and decided that could not be Yingshiong. He then dived from his branch down towards me and did a circular flight about me and landed on the ground about 3-4 feet in front of me. He then flew to the side and perched there. No other birds which were not even as shy as a shama would have done that. He sang very softly to me. I mentioned the very soft singing of YS before in http://www.shanlung.com/shamasong.html ] I did not have my Olympus EPL5. That camera gave up the ghost last night when I went with my wife to celebrate Earth hour with Spiderman https://www.facebook.com/events/1425245187720226/ ] I was going to take that to Olympus repair center to see if that camera of just one year can be resurrected. I only had my Nokia state of art phone of 7 years ago. I resisted the arm twisting done by my wife on me to take her Iphone. That old Nokia could not take good photos. I had to be very near YS to take the photos you are seeing. YS then flew 15 meters away to a branch on high tree. That was near a bench so I went there to sit and see what else that shama would do. In a while, he flew down nearer to me. I decided I would not even try to get YS to land on me as he needed to be wild. I remained contended he flew down near me. After another 30 minutes or so, I said my goodbye to him and that we will meet again. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Next facebook extract Mar 31 2014 I felt like a fool. After all, I could not recognise Yingshiong at first. I wanted to believe that was YS but dared not believe that was YS and therefore thought that was not YS at first. YS must have seen thousands of humanoids walking there. And to a Caucasian, Chinese all look alike and with Chinese, all Caucasians look alike. What about to a tiny bird? Wouldnt humans all look the same to the birdie? The last time YS was with me was until early 2006 when I went to Riyadh. And for visit in 2008. Clearly it was YS who recognised me to have done that circling flights around me and landed in front of me, and flew about near me, about 3 feet from me. YS showed better memory than I had. And when he showed he remembered me, I did not say "Yingshiong come come come" anymore. He was already there. And much as I like the thought of him landing on me, I had to restrain myself and have minimum interactions with YS for his own long term good. I hate the thought that if I got him used to landing on me, he might land on other visitors. But that being said, YS never landed on my wife and friends much as they tried even with bribing YS shamelessly. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa From my facebook 6 April 2014 Last Saturday, 5 April 2014, was another of my docenting thingie at Jurong Bird Park. That was in morning from 10 to 12. You know I had this disquiet mingled with strong desire to see Yingshiong. Part of me already more than satisfied YS still around, and can be seen and heard, and still showed that he remembered me. The other part was to leave him alone and be in his new life. I felt it will not do to keep seeing him daily or even on weekly basis. Then I thought, hang on a moment, I probably will not be able to see him for close to 2 months. You know I be flying off to Taiwan from 10-24 April. Followed by almost the whole of May in Bali and Lombok. So I thought I say hi to him in his South East Asia Aviary. I walked to the end and place where I last saw him. I called his name but could not see him. In a while, a tiny black and red bird flew to a branch and remained there. Almost like not acknowledging me. I stood there a while and he remained on his branch for that while. I was not unhappy that he did not seem to do more such as flying that circle around me and landing in front of me that he did that first time. I was happy enough that he was there. That day was heavily drizzling the entire day. I was under my umbrella. My poor YS might have been under shelter of a leaf and came out into the wet and the rain for me. I told him silently until the next time and I walked off. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa The photos of Yingshiong embedded in my livejournal entry did not get carried into here. Go to that livejournal entry if you feel fascinated enough by my account of Yingshiong to see those photos. Idiotic Taoist

In 1993 when I was about as good as I could be in taijichuan, I was on a walkabout on the island of Koh Phagnan off the Southern coast of Thailand. I saw posters about on Taijichuan classes being taught by a taichi master. I had to ride on my bike and hunted down that place. Saw that was a Caucasian in his mid 20s living in a Thai house all ready to teach taijichuan. He married a local thai. We started chatting. I told him I was interested in taijichuan, leaving out my background as irrelevant. I was there to learn of him and not he to learn of me. He proudly told me he finished the course of Yang jia taijichuan in Penang with an hour lesson twice week, taking about 6 months. He also showed me a pile of taichi books that he was reading, with another pile of video tapes on taichichuan. I asked him if he did tuishou in Penang and he told me his master there did not know tuishou but he picked that up from books. He told me his master thought he was good enough to open a taijischool after 3-4 more months there with him. I got an earful of taijichuan and Tao from him. Everything came from the Tao. Roses , cowdung and a host of other things came from the Tao. So why not taijichuan? Even more so when the symbol for taijichuan is the YingYang sign? Since I also had a glass of cold water from him, I let him go on and on. Sadly that is about the state of taijichuan. Lots of masters and charlatans teaching more tiny masters and charlatans. To wave and move arms and legs slowly will magically put you to feel the chi forces of the world and to tap on those energies. Not knowing taijichuan, they created a world of chi running all over here and there, mixing up with taoism and fantasy and telling that one be at peace in the world and love all (to make sure they got cast in stone excuses that they need never have to show their Immortal Imcomparable Fist) How to tell him that I was a mere student after years and years and not as elevated as he being a master. Perhaps he was wiser than me, and his twice weekly dose of taijichuan from someone who do not know how to tuishou was a lot better than my daily 6++ hours and with Masters that fajing me all over. I felt we did not even have a common ground in which I could talk with him. Hands on with me would just embarrased him and I saw no need for me to be a self declared policeman as to purity of taijichuan. Beside, he was a nice chap and did give me a glass of water unasked . Just an interesting education for me as to the other facets of the world of taijichuan. I thank him for the glass of water, said I think about his classes, and rode off back that road to a place where I knew I could get a nice cold Singha beer and watch the rest of the world go by. Idiot on the Path Since I made judgement on another person purported martial skills, others can also make their judgement on me as well. Maybe this nutshell of another facet of my life might be of somewhat use. You will find more such snippets here and there as well. Idiotic Taoist

Since it was a hit to my web page from this thread, I thought I kick it up again for the amusement of those new here and did not know me earlier. The Taoistic Idiot

You are entitled to what you sense. Like I am entitled to what I sense, or rather what I see from the avator of Vitali before I decided to ignore him until the end of Tao. The photo he took pride in that he used showed him with uneven shoulders and pointing his elbows to make belief opponents. No protection of his center line as anyone with half ability in martial arts be so aware of that that be second nature. How useful are the pointing of elbows at your opponent? Your guess is about as good as mine. Idiot on the Path in jeans and without a tie

A few weeks ago I wrote of Taoist shrines with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and a nude mermaid welcoming people. Here is my report of that trip for your amusement. Pulau Pangkor // Cameron Highlands and visiting Taiwan & Tinkerbell again http://shanlung.livejournal.com/142279.html Idiotic Taoist

I have gotten quiet as I did not care to debate on mantle of lineage of Wang Chong Yang suddenly descending on some unknown Russian because he claimed it so. When people tried to argue against that, they were banned or threatened to be banned. I decided to leave that field to whoever who claim they are what they are and those that believe in the sudden reappearance of Wang Chong Yang. Another reason why I disappeared. Actually many reasons but that's as about as irrelevant as Wang Chong Yang lineage. Those with morbid and puerile curiosity can find out by checking http://shanlung.livejournal.com/ I can tell you the last reason an extract from my facebook to other forums so my friends and enemies here know why I so quiet the last few months. And some hits from here to my pages decided I might as well let my friends and enemies here know too. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa posted dec 21 2014 Merry Christmas to all the folks here. This will be the last posting for a long time here. My retirement had been prematurely terminated. When I left to Nepal, I had a 3 months visa and thought I be there 3 months or so. While trekking in Annapurna, procrastination save me from being buried in Thorongla pass as Procrastinatia took 3 days from me. And when in Marpa , an email reached me making me an offer I cannot refused making me changed my plans and rushing down the mountains after just 6 weeks or so to get visas and paper work done. In a couple hours or so, I will be flying off to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Not likely I have the time and inclination to write for a long time after that. If I am not thrown out for color of my tie and I settle in and yearn for a birdie, that birdie might well be a falcon or hawk as I do have different ideas with them, the way my ideas had been different from most with birdies and beasties. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am not thrown out for the color of my tie. And also I do not wear tie anymore after the first day in suit and tie. Jeans more my kind of style. How long I be in Riyadh will depend on the Tao and nothing other than the Tao. And regardless of me in shadows of Himalayas or being chased by Komodo dragons or in the souks of Riyadh, I never left the Tao. The Idiotic Taoist

Jing jao yeo jiu Jing jao jui Now I got the wine, Now I go get drunk Or Enjoy the present Forget the tomorrow Or Amputate that leg still rooted in the past Cut off that leg in the future of events yet to come. Idiotic Taoist

For a place where I spend about 1% of my internet time on, it is giving me about 50% of total aggravation in my life. A place where taijichuan is on how slow you move and wave hands and legs and think of love and one with universe. A place where the dead are mysteriously resurrected and coming into life with entities assuming all powers. A place where admin loved the nail studded knuckle duster that they are wearing and everyone like kindergarten kids to toe their line. I have not known of this place until a chance hit from google alerted me to here. That was karma. As to how the admin want to use their knuckle duster, you will see for yourself. I will not see that as this is my last posting ever here. And the last time I come here. This is just to say goodbye to my friends (if any) here. Life is short, and sweet. I rather enjoy rest of my remaining life than to accept the aggro of the piece of shit that is the admin here

I find it most fascinating what was written more then six months ago had no difficulties then at time of writing. Which suddenly seemed to raised a flurry of raised eyebrows. The act of plagiarising seems to be ok. The disgust expressed at plariarising seems to be discouraged. Making me go through all kinds of contortions to appease one anonymous stone thrower and hugger of plagiariser. I know admin can flex all kinds of muscles as they pleased. I bend over more than backwards in my attempt to accomodate the appeasing of plagiariser lovers. I do no more than that. Idiotic Taoist

Dear Admin wrote to me that someone complained of my language in this thread that I kicked up. In interest of harmony with Admin, I went back to adjust my language. Making me wonder who was the person who complained of my language. Perhaps he think the world of that piece of s* Deng and his plagiarising ways. Such kind of person should write his views in this thread and not hide behind a rock to throw stones. Show the world his/her stand of intellectual integrity. Idiotic Taoist

Allow me to believe what I want to believe. I believe Liu ChangSheng meeting Bodhidarma more than I believe you. I believe Liu Chang Sheng transmuting stones into gold to pay for his stay in the brothel more than I believe you. I believe Liu Chang Shen boiling a kettle of water with his dan tien to make tea to drink with Bodhidarma more than I believe you. With your claim of head of Zhen Dao, you can walk into any of LungMen Monastery and get the Chief Taoist there to kowtow to you and hand over all the assets of his Monastery. You can do that to any of the 7 branches of Zhen Dao as you are the Head of the Head. Which is why I believe Liu ChangSheng meeting Bodhidarma more than I believe you. Nothing personal. You can claim whatever you want to claim, including Lao Tze coming down on his ox to give you private tuition. I claim the right to believe what I want to believe. This is my last entry here into this thread as I find the futility of talking with you. I will put you into my ignore list so my time here can be spend more blissfully. Idiotic Taoist

Kicking up to make it easy for folks to read Taoistic Idiot

kicking up to make it easy for folks to read Idiotic Taoist