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Hi Dao Bums, My name is Keith. I am a Zen Buddhist, with an interest in Neigong. Looking forward to learning here from you all. _/|\_ Keith

"Breathing in, I am aware of my heart. Breathing out, I smile to my heart and know that my heart still functions normally. I feel grateful for my heart." -Thích Nhất Hạnh Dear Tao Bums, Students and Practitioners of Buddhism, Please take a moment in silent light and benevolence to offer grace and blessing to thây Thích Nhất Hạnh who passed away on January 22nd, 2022 at Từ Hiếu Temple in Huế, Vietnam. Thây Hạnh was the teacher of Thiền Buddhism- a Vietnamese form of Zen Buddhism, author of 130 books and founder of both Deer Park and Plum Village Monasteries. Among his many writings, were "The Miracle of Mindfulness", "Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames", and "Peace is Every Step". Record of his funeral procession in Vietnam, his final parting words of merit and wish for the compassionate community to continue the cultivation of bodhicitta can be seen here: His dedication, teachings and compassion have touched many lives. May we offer our gratitude and blessing not only in our hearts and through prayer, but also in action through our continued living dedication in heartfelt cultivation, practice and compassion. "The real power of the Buddha was that he had so much love. He saw people trapped in their notions of small separate self, feeling guilty or proud of that self, and he offered revolutionary teachings that resounded like a lion's roar, like a great rising tide, helping people to wake up and break free from the prison of ignorance" -Thích Nhất Hạnh May we all love, love deeply, and love truly.

Once Ikkyu, clad in his customary shabby robe and tattered hat, went to beg at the door of a wealthy family's home. He was roughly ordered around to the back of the estate and given scraps. The following day, Ikkyu appeared at a vegetarian feast sponsored by the family, but this time Ikkyu was decked out in the brocade robes of an abbot. When the large tray of food was placed before him, Ikkyu removed his stiff robe and arranged it in front of the tray. "What are you doing?" the startled host asked. "The food belongs to the robe, not to me," Ikkyu replied as he got up to leave. John Stevens : Wild Ways

riding the never-ending-change-wave, i find myself here interested in yijing, qigong, taiji, art, poetry, theatre, zen, dao and like-minded stuff going to wall-flower a bit to watch the dance and feel the breeze till i have something to say best wishes and peace and thank you for having me

Hello All! By way of introduction, l will introduce myself by saying that I am a student of vital force energy, a long time practitioner of a Japanese healing art called Jin Shin Jyutsu, a practitioner of meditation through practice of Tibetan Bon and Chinese Qi Gong. For the past 21 years, I shared my life with my partner who was an accomplished martial artist and someone who had a thirst for knowledge. My partner recently passed away leaving behind a vast library of materials. I have gone through these materials and kept what was relevant to me, but now am tasked with finding new homes for the rest of his collection of books, training DVDs and VHS tapes. He was for a brief time, a distance student of Christopher Lee Matsuo, and I am selling his collection of Dragon Gate training videos at half price or less, depending on how many DVDs you wish to purchase. These DVDs were originally bought for $108 USD each, I am offering them for sale at $54 USD each. I also have PDF lists of books for sale arranged by broad categories of books on: Qi Gong, Chinese Martial Arts (Tai Chi, Chin Na, Bacqua, Kung Fu) and Japanese Martial Arts (Nimpo, Ninjitsu, Karate, Japanese Swordmanship, etc.) and also books on Taoism, Zen and other martial philosophies. There are also training DVDs and VHS tapes on Grappling, Dim Mak, Kuji Kiri and more. There is also an extensive list of Training DVDs featuring various Chinese masters. Suggested prices for books are $10 for 1, $19 for 2, $24 for 3, plus actual postage. I am also open to reasonable offers. Payment can be made via Paypal, or in Canada via E-Transfer or Square. If you are interested in viewing any of these lists, please contact me via email at [email protected] and I will send you a copy of whichever list(s) you wish to see. The information contained in these materials needs to be shared with those who will value the information, not stored in a box in someone's basement! Thank you!

I would like to share this link to a very insightful Zen Buddhist writer: https://zennist.typepad.com/

Mindfulness is a practice that begins from the moment you open your eyes each day. It’s a skill that you learn and build upon with use. Just like doing pushups build muscle, doing “things that you don’t feel like doing” has the same effect on your mind. It may seem counter-intuitive for many of us, but certain actions that seemingly bring us so much pleasure or convenience can really be hurting us in the long run. If you find yourself hitting the snooze button every day, rushing through meals to focus on work, stressing about the past and future, or dismissing anything that doesn’t serve you, you’ve started reading this article for a reason. As you read the tips below, start thinking about how easy they can be to implement – all you have to do is want to. Wake Up When your alarm goes off each morning, how many times do you hit snooze? If the answer is any number other than “0,” you’ve got homework. For many of us, just peeling off the covers and rolling out of bed is the hardest, most depressing parts of our day. Train your brain to silence the voice inside that says, “stay cozy” and empower the voice inside that says, “let’s do this!” If you can get out of bed without hitting snooze, you can pretty much change the world. Taste your Food The food that you eat is literally the fuel for your body, mind, and subsequently your soul. We all know that we should eat healthy, whole foods rich with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. While we agree that’s certainly important, we also argue that to be mindful, it’s just as important to taste your food. In today’s society, we’re always in a hurry to keep on keepin’ on. Sometimes, having to eat is simply seen as an inconvenience. Something we rush through in between meetings, deadlines, work, or chores. Eating can be a meditative, spiritualistic ritual in and of itself. Your tongue is an explosion of nerve endings and taste buds all being filled with a blend of tastes and textures and temperature. When chewing, allow yourself to slow down and experience each bite. Chew more slowly and remind yourself of the nourishment your body is receiving with each swallow. Not only will this help your mental state, but it actually assists your body with digestion reduces your chances of overeating! It’s great for your body AND your mind. Be Here and Now The old saying goes, “If you’re depressed, you’re living in the past. If you’re anxious, you’re living in the future.” Train your brain to live here – at this moment. When you find yourself worrying about the future or reliving painful moments of the past you’re placing your energy and intentions purely on what’s out of your control. The only moment in time you have absolute control over is this moment right now. A quick tip to try when you feel you’re losing control of the moment is to stop, think, and listen. 1. Stop what you’re thinking. 2. Ask yourself, “What time is it?” and answer, “The time is now.” 3. Listen to the sounds around you, or even better, listen to the sound of your voice as it washes in through your nostrils and cleanses every nook and cranny inside your body before leaving your mouth in a gentle release. If you’re surrounded by sound, then it’s even easier to focus on your breathing (plug an ear if you have to) because no one else can hear what you’re doing. It’s your own private moment of “now.” Embrace an Attitude of Service There a growing trend to Let Go of what no longer serves us, but what about what we do to serve others? Sharing with others, helping, and coming together as a community is an incredibly uplifting, internal cup-filling, therapeutic process. When you know that you’re taking real, positive action to make life better for someone else, there’s truly no greater reward out there. The world has enough people looking to serve themselves. Take a moment to serve someone else – just for the sake of helping – and watch your ego simply melt away. Which one of these tips will you try first? We know to ignore the snooze, checking out for lunch, living in the now, and serving others seem to like it leaves no time for the smaller pleasures in life. We promise – you’re just getting started.

My spiritual mentor is a venerable spiritual stalwart who was a direct disciple of two jivanamuktas in the Hindu tradition (one being the Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Math), a student of a Zen lineage holder (3rd generation dharma heir of Hsu Yun). He is a most spectacular individual, who somehow took it upon himself to guide me (as to why, is mystifying for me, but I'm not complaining ). Well, he asked me to read a book titled "Zen: The Dawn in the West", by Roshi Philip Kapleau. I've already done some studying of the buddhist sutras and found myself agreeing with everything the Buddha had said anyway. I'm halfway through the book and in it I found the most lucid, pragmatic and no-nonsense directions and advice about meditation and the spiritual approach, that I thought I'd recommend it here. At the same time, I found a beautiful illustration of the model of consciousness according to (Zen) buddhism, which piqued my interest. I have taken that model and added a correlation to the Vedantic model of consciousness (Being actually) which some might find of interest. In the above diagram, the left hand side is from the original book and the right hand side is my addition. It becomes infinitely clear that there is a wonderful overlap between the Buddhist model and the vedantic models. In the buddhist model, the first 6 levels of consciousness map very neatly into the vedantic (and actually samkhya) model of the five tanmatras (associated with the sense functions) and part of the mental apparatuses that identifies with the body (ego). The mind, intellect aspect of the antahkarana seem to correlate with the level 7 (termed manas in the buddhist model) while the chitta aspect (storehouse of impressions) seems to correlate with the 8th level or "relative Alaya consciousness". This also seems to correlate with the causal body (kārana sharira) which is said to contain the karmic seeds (samsakaras) from which spring forth actions and consequences in a cyclical manner. At level 9, is absolute Alaya consciousness, which he labels "Formless Self or True-Nature". This maps very nicely as Atman (Vedantic model). Somethings to ponder for sure. I hope this will lead to "peaceful" explorations of the areas of consensus, which has always been my primary interest.

Hello, This is a summary of "How to" notes that I have compiled from various books/sources on meditation. Most specifically the "Natural State" or "Ordinary Mind" form the Tibetan Mahamudra practice. While it is based on the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism it is also identical to the Japanese Zen tradition of Soto where the state of Shikantaza is practiced. Shikantaza is also known as "Serene Reflection" or "Silent Illumination" from the Caodong (Chinese version of soto zen) School. Essentially Mahamudra and Shikantaza are paths of enlightenment in and of themselves. Enlightened states of non-attaining, and non-thought, uncontrived states of mind. Sometimes they are known as the culmination of Shamatha and Vispashyana, but from the Buddhist world they are their own entity and beast. As Tibetans refer to this state as the The true nature of the mind, original face, natural state, etc. These act as mindfulness guides that can be implemented in sitting, walking, or activity through out the day to help stabilize one in the natural state of Mahamudra or Shikantaza: Attention Revolution (Alan Wallace) Let your mind be like the sky The sky never reacts It doesn't stop anything from moving through it It doesn't hold onto anything that's present nor does it control anything Whatever thoughts or mental images arise, you simply observe them Without distraction and without grasping Without being either attracted or repulsed by them Just let them be Instead of letting thoughts go, you let them be Don't prefer one kind of thought to another Don't even prefer the absence of thoughts to the presence of thoughts They are not the problem Being distracted by and grasping onto thoughts is the problem Let the space of awareness remain as expansive as possible When thoughts arise, let them play out their course Regardless of their nature or duration It is crucial to observe the movement of thoughts without intervention Mahamudra Teaching (Garchen Rinpoche) Stay just with your thought as it rises, so as to not give it form, or side with the thought as good, bad, or any reference. When mindful of giving form to thought or mental happening, just let your mind relax. Don't investigate further (This is to not attach to it). We establish this view of "nothing to see, nothing to objectify, nothing to project. We imbue this view with certainty Don't get discouraged Simply do not follow after the thoughts Don't make any commentary on the thought, let it rise then dissolve As any thought arises, you just see it Any conceptual thought that arises has no any essence No essence at all There is nothing to follow Not rejecting the suffering, not attaching to the happiness Whatever comes let it come, just sustain the Mahamudra Clarifying the Natural State: Dakpo Tashi Namgyal Undistractedly maintain the natural state of your mind with a naturally aware presence, no matter how it is or what is perceived or felt. Continue the practice with unbound ease without pinpointing whatever is experienced Take care not to stray into intellectual analysis, thoughtless calm, savoring a meditative experience or hankering after the ensuing certainty. Do not entertain any ambitions about what should or should not be cultivated by meditating. Do not be happy when calm or unhappy when thoughts move; rather, relax your attention loosely. Do not inhibit one thing while promoting another. Leave your attention as it naturally is – relaxed and free. Zazen Instructions (Global soto-zen.net) Do not concentrate on any particular object or control your thought. When various thoughts arise in your mind, do not become caught up by them or struggle with them; Neither pursue nor try to escape from them. Just leave your thoughts alone, allowing them to come up and go away freely. The essential thing in doing zazen is to awaken from distraction and dullness and return to the right posture moment by moment. Rules for Meditation from Dogen (FUKANZAZENGI) Cut all ties, give up everything Think of neither good nor evil, consider neither right nor wrong Control mind function, will, consciousness, memory, perception and understanding You must not strive thus to become Buddha

Hello from Germany / Europe, thank you for granting me access to this forum ! My main intention is learning and asking questions, plus being able to learn from other experienced practitioners. I am coming from the Yang Style Tai Chi form and started out with basic health improvement goals. Nowadays I focus more on topics such as Nei Kung, safe ways to open energy channels and in general similarities and differences in meditation practice ( Taoist / Chan / Zen / Shamatha practice ). I welcome all guidance and once again thank you and my best wishes to all here in the forum.

Hello. My name is Andi. I have followed a few spiritual teachers, read books, and listened to lectures for years now. I knew many things. I had much knowledge. A couple months ago, my beliefs were totally annihilated after a crushing and disappointing religious experience. I found myself with no beliefs and no idea what was what. That was a beginning. Shortly after that, while listening to a lecture by Zen teacher Adyashanti, I had a striking realization. We are not humans experiencing consciousness; we are consciousness masquerading as humans. I was stunned with the force of this awakening. Since then everything has gone topsy turvy. I have no idea which way is up. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. I almost don't even exist, it seems, and I have no more drive or motivation for most anything in my life. This is most distressing because I have always been a driven, strong, passionate person with many causes and convictions...now nothing seems to matter. I've read and heard to be still, to let go, to rest in the unknowing, but the practice has not dropped from my head to my heart and I struggle and I am confused and afraid as parts of me fall away and literally just die off. I didn't realize that enlightenment meant giving up the "good" along with the "bad," and now it's too late. Most friends, my partner, my therapist, they have no idea what to do with me now. I'm feeling alone (which I know is utterly silly because there is no separation, and yet that fearful feeling remains). I'm here at Dao Bums looking for support, direction, a reference point, something that tells me which way is up and which way is down...and I'm most afraid that none of those things exist. Thank you all for this space.

Does anyone practice Zazen and in particular the style closely resembling Shikantaza ("nothing but precisely sitting")? This is a method of practice that lineages like the famous Soto Zen tradition of Kōdō Sawaki & Kōshō Uchiyama are famous for. Famous monasteries and training locations like Antai-ji, Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery, and Sanshin Zen Community all belong to this school. I would be interested to know how Daoists approach and view this practice in their own words. Then if some are interested I`d love to dialogue a bit about on it

Hello Everyone ... and greetings from Chicago, IL. First and foremost let me say, "Thank You" to each and every person who has made this website available. Up to this point I've only had the opportunity to peruse the website, but I sincerely appreciate the the opportunity to participate and to continue as a life-long learner. I'm truly excited to begin the exploration, to learn, offer what I can, and to be part of such a wonderful community. Geoffrey

I started lurking on the Tao Bums about 10 years ago (Wow, time flies!) and this is something that would have been helpful to me at that time. Hope this will answer questions for those just starting out on this journey.

Just scanned the Wikipedia article, reflected a bit and come to a conclusion myself. Interested in other opinions. No justification necessary but feel free to post reasoning if you want.

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If you want to know and "practice" original Dzogchen as it was meant to be presented, please purchase all of Chris's books as displayed on his Amazon page. These are all new first time translations of Dzogchen's most profound and earliest teachings. What you will read is quite shocking and revelatory as the Dzogchen view is brought into clear focus. It cuts to shreds any notion of a "gradual path" or need for practice and effort. Chris has captured the essence in his translations of what Dzogchen was intended to convey; immediate enlightenment and release! May all beings prosper! http://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Wilkinson/e/B00KINMI22

Hi, I just joined the forum in order to get contact information of a member, I read one of snowmonki's posts, and noted he was in the UK, and wanted to find out more about him/her. I'm a long time Zen student who taught Tai Chi up till about fifteen years ago, when various circumstances - mainly physical - conspired against continuing it. I am now quite old. I am also interested in Chan, and also in Taoism. But my main study is Zen. I've been at this so long, that I see it as part of my identity I guess. Some three years ago my Kundalini awakened on a Chan retreat, and I've been dealing with the aftermath of that since then. It is a very difficult subject to get any useful help on, and I eventually started on Mahamudra studies in order to get access to experience from that path. The Tibetans are very broad in their views and very helpful.But I've just recently got my Vajrasattva initiation, and the Six Yogas of Naropa part of the study is still some years away, so I am still in limbo. I found that my Zen teacher doesn't value this direction, which is disappointing, particularly as this Zen school, like most of them, think the world of Hakuin, who in fact rated its usefulness highly. However, there does appear to be a prejudice in some spiritual traditions against the physical/emotional/energetic aspects of K. I can understand that K awakening may causes issues for students and in groups, but if it is unsought, then the path should be broad enough to include them, if it is a valid way. I think. The problems can lead to benefits too perhaps, though it might take time. I've recently been reading Nan Huai Chin, and it is disappointing that his particular branch of teaching doesn't appear to have made it to the UK. He says, that while this energetic/physical path is a left hand path, a side door, "a side door is still a door. One cannot ignore or deny this completely." I realize their are more modern approaches, like KAP, and teachers like Chrism. But somehow they are not for me. Traditional Yoga - as it is practiced in this country - doesn't interest me either. I wish I could find a teacher like Huai Chin.

You can tell whether someone is fully enlightened by checking whether they exist. ( https://twitter.com/Dowlphin/status/701924690017779713 ) I usually post stuff like this on my Twitter, mixed with other varieties of thoughtful materials in the areas of commentary, humor, wordplay, messing with your mind etc.. I'm always happy about appreciative audience. It makes a crucial difference. I'm hurting so much. (I guess? I'm a bit confused. ... At least I think so.)

Gui Zhen Society in Staten Island NY. Hi Every One! I'm Lin, been on the Dao Bums for ages now, and recently moved back to the U.S. from China. I re-established my cultivation school in Staten Island and am offering a number of cultivation methods I have been putting together over the last several years. One of them is called White Canopy Meditation, a.k.a. Jiu Wu Tan Gong (Nine Five Platform Cultivation). Its quite a lengthy description, so I wil leave a short one here and link you to my personal practice page for the full idea: White Canopy Description Also new to the martial arts world, as well as to the Qigong, meditation, etc world, my own expression of both spiritual cultivaton and martial art , Origin and Illusion (Zong Huan). Origin and Illusion: Zong Huan Peace and Blessings, Lin Ai Wei Gui Zhen Society, Pure Mind Center Pure Mind Center Blog

Is faith an illusion of the mind? Or I'm being pessimist (or realistic), considering that zen budism stands for the direct experience of reality and, therefore, faith is a product of mind? And hope? Kind of "game" that universe plays with oneself? Destiny, karma? Who knows for sure?

Has anybody heard about magnolia grove monestary? It is in batesville Mississippi. I would like to know more than whats on the internet, please. I very interested in it.

Hello, I am looking at prospective retreats to go on when I finish this degree (as a little holiday, and maybe to clear a lot of gunk out of my system). There are so many free retreats to go on (which is great), but, I'm just wondering where to go, if anyone has any personal recommendations of schools, locations, organisations, teachers, etc? Generally I just want to go somewhere where I can do some kind of meditation (preferably some kind of mindfunless of breath, but, whatever works), for a long period of time. However, if there are any Taoist/Neidan/Neigong/Qigong retreats that involve meditation, I'd be interested in attending (not so much for Yoga, as, I already know a lot of the language, and I'd like to learn some Taoist terms/techniques, etc). I could perhaps just dedicate the time at home, tell others in the house that I will be silent for a week, turn off my computer/internet for a week, and draw up a timetable of meditation, practice, reading (got a lot of JAJ material to get through) and walks etc. I guess the advantage of a retreat is no distractions. Any thoughts welcome.