Search the Community

I practice since i was 11 some 40+ years ago. Half of the time i had no clue. but i build my skills, even did write some books that were published but that iI would now burn. for 15 years I lived in Wudangshan Travelling with my teacher and learning in direct contact with dao family. I run a school since 1995, but most people consider my practices to much work. I teach and practice acupuncture, massage and dietary practices. I am building a vlog on daoist practices and health called Daoland. It is in dutch, although maybe i should do it in English too. What else can i say? I use theory to support practice. I follow the five rule my first teacher Liu Dong An suggested: 'practice standing, practice movement, practice sitting, practice whirwind, be academic in your study', He also said to 'never practice less than 4 hours per day, never be happy with less than 8', and : 'eat less, sleep less, stay clean, keep feelings and desires inside, and at least appear common'.

Background: 20 year old male, turning 21 in the spring. Former great loss of jing, ojas, meaning of being "man", etc. due to pornography and masturbation. Of course I have long since quit these behaviors in favor of spiritual practice. But I want to take it a step further - I'd like to remain celibate for approximately 10 years in order to give myself opportunity to deepen spiritually and use my creative energies for other purposes. Some call this "Brahmacharya". and traditionally it lasts 12 years in disciplined practice, but I'm shooting for the decade between ages 20 and 30. This is the time of my life when I feel I will have the most potentially to do and achieve anything I want. While celibate I've noticed that the creative CHI life energies naturally flow elsewhere; art, music, literature, film, theater, even raw emotion seem to come alive for me at a whole new level. I am an artist and would like to seriously devote my energy to creation because I believe I have something to contribute to this realm in the world. I am currently seeing a girlfriend, and we are dating, but I haven't yet mentioned to her my plan. That said I feel that she is a soulmate, and perhaps she would understand (cliche, but true love waits). I believe dating should occur for years before marriage. Am I deluding myself by believing that such a period of self-realization would change me as a person, and perhaps take me some distance toward the realm of enlightenment?