the highest masters are not in asia

[exorcist_1699]

I am not sure whether the highest master is in Asia or not, what I want to talk about here are the conditions that , I think, make a group /generation of Taoist /Buddhist masters arise :

 

1) The existence of a heritage of masters or many generations of masters . In China, despite severe long history of political upheavals, you can trace a school, or a Taoist/Buddhist master's sifu's sifu's sifu's.... a legacy back to a thousand year before. The advantage of it is clear: huge amount of experience are accumulated and passing to the latecomers; high-level practitioners can learn from each other..etc , making an emergence of of a /several masters more likely.

 

2) The existence of works or written records, ie, a literal legacy. As not all our understanding of Tao/Buddha Heart come from personal teachings from our sifu,rather in many cases, we get them by repeated readings of great works left behind by precedent masters. In China or Tibet ,you do get the conditions of reading Taoist ,Buddhist, Tibetan ,Confucian ..original or translated writings ,which of course , are very helpful.

 

3) High mountain and big mass of land. At certain stage of our cultivation, it is really needed.

 

 

So, judging from the above-mentioned 3 conditions,we can study some examples below to see where, on this globe, great masters will unlikely/likely arise:

 

a) Sri Lanka or New Zealand seems unlikely. (small island,no Taoist/Buddhist heritage..)

 

b)Japan ( Unlikely because of no big piece land, weak cultural heritage; weak of abstract and creative reasoning ability );

 

c) Taiwan ( no big piece of land , no real great master.the cultural legacy brought from the Mainland is not enough..Some people may raise Mr. Nan -x-x .. as an example ; Unfortunately , Nan is a scholar,not any master; any careful reader can identify this without difficulty..)

 

d) Canada ( although having a big mass of land, high mountain..unfortunately no Taoist/Buddhist cultural legacy..need time to accumulate )

 

e) Some European countries: Unlikely; short cultural heritage..need some time to accumulate..

Edited April 25, 2011 by exorcist_1699

[adept]

I am not sure whether the highest master is in Asia or not, what I want to talk about here are the conditions that , I think, make a group /generation of Taoist /Buddhist masters arise :

 

1) The existence of a heritage of masters or many generations of masters . In China, despite severe long history of political upheavals, you can trace a school, or a Taoist/Buddhist master's sifu's sifu's sifu's.... a legacy back to a thousand year before. The advantage of it is clear: huge amount of experience are accumulated and passing to the latecomers; high-level practitioners can learn from each other..etc , making an emergence of of a /several masters more likely.

 

2) The existence of works or written records, ie, a literal legacy. As not all our understanding of Tao/Buddha Heart come from personal teachings from our sifu. In many cases, we get them by repeated readings of great works left behind by precedent masters. In China or Tibet ,you do get the conditions of reading Taoist ,Buddhist, Tibetan ,Confucian ..original or translated writings ,which of course , are very helpful.

 

3) High mountain and big mass of land. At certain stage of our cultivation, it is really needed.

 

 

So, judging from the above-mentioned 3 conditions,we can study some examples below to see where, on this globe, great masters will unlikely/likely arise:

 

a) Sri Lanka or New Zealand seems unlikely. (small island,no Taoist/Buddhist heritage..)

I would hardly call Sri Lanka or New Zealand 'small'. Sri Lanka has a Buddhist heritage of 2000 years !

 

b)Japan ( Unlikely because of no big piece land, weak cultural heritage; weak of abstract and creative reasoning ability );

Japan has a weak cultural heritage ? Then where did Shinto, Zen, Shingon, Tendai, Shugendo, Jodo Shu, Shinshu, Mikkyo and countless martial systems develop ?

 

c) Taiwan ( no big piece of land , no real great master.the cultural legacy brought from the Mainland is not enough..Some people may raise Mr. Nan -x-x .. as an example ; Unfortunately , Nan is a scholar,not any master; any careful reader can identify this without difficulty..)

 

d) Canada ( although having a big mass of land, high mountain..unfortunately no Taoist/Buddhist cultural legacy..need time to accumulate )

 

e) Some European countries: Unlikely; short cultural heritage..need some time to accumulate..

There are plenty of examples of european cultivation going back thousands of years such as Norse, Celtic, Teutonic. It doesn't need to be Taoist or Buddhist. There are masters in many other ways

 

[henro]

I agree with Adept, japan and sri lanka have incredible traditions dating back thousands of years......to say there are no masters there borders on ignorance. I've traveled extensively throughout both countries and have met incredible teachers there, I'll leave it at that.

 

There are some huge generalizations being made on this thread about where "masters" might be found, have any of you ever traveled to these places?

[C T]

I think what exorcist_1699 meant was that Sri Lanka, though having the heritage, does not quite fit because size-wise its too puny, and NZ, although massive, unfortunately does not have the Taoist/Buddhist heritage.

 

This is how i read it anyway.

[bodyoflight]

IME, it is still best to cultivate amongst society. Ive come across plenty of self-proclaimed masters whom, once removed from these "impossible" environments, find it almost impossible to return. By the time the master is done with his cultivation he becomes so far removed from others that it is very easy, and likely, that he will become an outcast. As these societies will have likely grown and changed without him. He will likely find himself not understanding and even cursing new or different social norms that he now perceives to be "against" the tao. But then again all paths lead to the same end, and they all have their advantages and pitfalls so i think we have to be careful as to what our ego's define as the "best" way. I also think we are on the same page as far as not seeking to influence, but what im getting at is that by his very presence and mere interaction amongst others this influence happens naturally. Whether he is even aware of this or not. Be it his thought patterns or energy vibrations having an affect on those around him.

 

why would a master wanna seek to influence society if that society doesn't give him any benefits?

 

and even if the master becomes an outcast so what?

 

life is like a dream and we all die in the end..

 

the ultra-dimensional ETs are now openly walking among us..

 

if any human is to become an outcast, it is because the ETs have shut off his ultra-dimensional faculties which is prevent him from using ultra-dimensional technologies and getting used to a ultra-dimensional society..

 

but then if the ultra-dimensional ETs refuse to open up the ultra-dimensional faculties of a master, then you can't blame the master for becoming an outcast..

[bodyoflight]

I agree with Adept, japan and sri lanka have incredible traditions dating back thousands of years......to say there are no masters there borders on ignorance. I've traveled extensively throughout both countries and have met incredible teachers there, I'll leave it at that.

 

There are some huge generalizations being made on this thread about where "masters" might be found, have any of you ever traveled to these places?

 

I have travelled extensively throughout asia during the last year or so and have met many high masters..

 

but none of the masters refuse to teach me or help me because apparently they can't do so or they refuse to do so...

 

so since this is the case, I am returning to a western country with very low population human density and meditate on my own till I pass away..

Edited April 26, 2011 by bodyoflight

[bodyoflight]

maybe they are hanging out in Greenland? who knew?!

i dont consider being close to birds or small animals as siddhis,

yesterday i had a couple of cardinals land on my porch swing while

i was sitting there. they stayed a moment and probably didnt even notice

me there. it is springtime here after all and they flew together to my hedge.

i think if you have a simple good vibe , non threatening, then animals come closer.

some mornings while playing my taichi form i have had a small group of deer

standing closeby there watching me.

my taichi is not all that . i think the deer were just wondering what the heck i was doing. i am glad they didnt want to push hands

 

i have heard that when the yogis came down from the mountains and stayed

too long among the population that they did lose alot of their "powers".

and i also feel that they may be where you don't expect them to be.

 

at least they managed to obtain some "powers" in the first place which showed their progress..

[henro]

I have travelled extensively throughout asia during the last year or so and have met many high masters..

 

but none of the masters refuse to teach me or help me because apparently they can't do so or they refuse to do so...

 

so since this is the case, I am returning to a western country with very low population human density and meditate on my own till I pass away..

 

 

As has been mentioned on many threads, it takes time to build relationships (trust) in China. No one is going to unleash their training methods to someone they don't know very well. The Chinese call it guan xi. If you're not willing to invest the time to build the relationship, you won't get the lessons. . . especially if you're talking about special powers and abilities.

 

I'm here in China for the second time this year to work with one of my teachers.

 

On another forum (RSF), one of the members posted that he worked out in a park in Xi'an for a few years by himself before the older teachers started to approach him, and speak to him. For me, it's taken about 5 years of travel to really feel like China has opened up to me.

Edited April 26, 2011 by robmix

[bodyoflight]

As has been mentioned on many threads, it takes time to build relationships (trust) in China. No one is going to unleash their training methods to someone they don't know very well. The Chinese call it guan xi. If you're not willing to invest the time to build the relationship, you won't get the lessons. . . especially if you're talking about special powers and abilities.

 

I'm here in China for the second time this year to work with one of my teachers.

 

On another forum (RSF), one of the members posted that he worked out in a park in Xi'an for a few years by himself before the older teachers started to approach him, and speak to him. For me, it's taken about 5 years of travel to really feel like China has opened up to me.

 

if you want to learn any stuff from a master in china, you have to wait 5 years..

 

if you want learn some stuff from a master in a western country, regardless if they are chinese, tibetan or western.. it might only take 5 months or even 5 days..

 

the old outdated traditions of china are now useless.. i will rather learn from a tibetan master than a chinese master anytime..

 

considering the payback received in return for the time and energy I am gonna put out "waiting" for a master.. i will rather invest my time and energy in the tibetan lamas..

 

the tibetan lamas are everywhere in the world anyway.. some are even online.. lol

[bodyoflight]

The mountains of China and Taiwan are sparsely populated as the vast open unpopulated regions, so even if you argue that masters only hang out in unpopulated areas, you will find that there is enough of that in even dense populated countries. So perhaps the title is only meant to catch attention and not logic.

 

I was living in Hualien a pretty populous city, avoiding everyone because I meditate alot, but I bought my vegetables from a Buddhist lady because she was nice and she sold wild greens and stuff without pesticides. She lived in a little monestery on a nearby hill after the Papaya River near Carp Lake, and I went there one day because I was curious about who was doing the vegetables business. I spent a few hours there, it was very modest, a ramshackle place in the forest with a few ladies doing cooking. They also had a recycling thing, and that made the grounds kind of junky looking. But I could feel the authenticity of the energy. The master never did come down to meet me, I guessed it was because perhaps not wanting to meet every polluted individual that came around the bend. But she did scan me from where she was, and I scannned back, and it was nice, all the while the monestery lady was telling me about Buddhism and her personal story. She said the master could see all your past and future lives, and if you believe that it is true, to be able to do that is really high level, a living Buddha. So there you go, a roadmap even.

 

de_paradise, i sent you a PM.. please read it..

[bodyoflight]

As has been mentioned on many threads, it takes time to build relationships (trust) in China. No one is going to unleash their training methods to someone they don't know very well. The Chinese call it guan xi. If you're not willing to invest the time to build the relationship, you won't get the lessons. . . especially if you're talking about special powers and abilities.

 

I'm here in China for the second time this year to work with one of my teachers.

 

On another forum (RSF), one of the members posted that he worked out in a park in Xi'an for a few years by himself before the older teachers started to approach him, and speak to him. For me, it's taken about 5 years of travel to really feel like China has opened up to me.

 

btw too many chinese, japanese and korean teachers have developed an over-inflated sense of ego..

 

the type of sucking-up-to-teacher type of mentality so that he can teach you is totally unnecessary and is in fact counter-productive to spiritual training..

 

5 years? i can do more with 5 months of research from the net and self-study from ebooks and dvds..

 

the highest teachers are ultimately non-human.. once you go into meditation deep enough and make contact with spiritual beings, then there wouldn't be a need for human teachers anymore..

[manitou]

Ip.s. Hi Bums! First post after years of lurking, you guys are gonna love me here i promise

 

I think I do already! Thanks for coming out of the woodwork...

[Gerard]

ever wonder why the highest masters in the world are so hard to find?

 

I don't think they are...you need to look in the right places. Some examples:

 

 

Oak tree

 

 

 

Debating between the full moon and cumulus clouds

 

 

 

Children of war

 

 

 

Homeless prophet

[henro]

if you want to learn any stuff from a master in china, you have to wait 5 years..

 

if you want learn some stuff from a master in a western country, regardless if they are chinese, tibetan or western.. it might only take 5 months or even 5 days..

 

the old outdated traditions of china are now useless.. i will rather learn from a tibetan master than a chinese master anytime..

 

considering the payback received in return for the time and energy I am gonna put out "waiting" for a master.. i will rather invest my time and energy in the tibetan lamas..

 

the tibetan lamas are everywhere in the world anyway.. some are even online.. lol

 

 

 

I didn't say you had to wait five years, I certainly didn't. I've had great teachers all along, but this last year something switched on, and lots of doors opened up.....

[zerostao]

btw too many chinese, japanese and korean teachers have developed an over-inflated sense of ego..

 

the type of sucking-up-to-teacher type of mentality so that he can teach you is totally unnecessary and is in fact counter-productive to spiritual training..

 

5 years? i can do more with 5 months of research from the net and self-study from ebooks and dvds..

 

the highest teachers are ultimately non-human.. once you go into meditation deep enough and make contact with spiritual beings, then there wouldn't be a need for human teachers anymore..

i woudnt go as far to say we wouldnt need human teachers anymore. but it is a lucky stroke(i think) to have the "other teachers" show up.

i am not much of a sucker upper either, but hey whatever it takes, i reckon.

edit> i like gerards view

Edited April 26, 2011 by zerostao

[bodyoflight]

yes i know about these otherworldly teachers showing up to teach 99% of the world's populations..

 

i also know about these otherworldly teachers shutting down some people's spiritual faculties AND instructing high-level human teachers not to teach certain people..

 

well guess what? the rules have changed..

 

i like to see what happens if the whole damn dinner table gets turned over upside down and all the food gets spilled onto the floor..

 

i wonder who is gonna clean up the mess huh?

[exorcist_1699]

I think what exorcist_1699 meant was that Sri Lanka, though having the heritage, does not quite fit because size-wise its too puny, and NZ, although massive, unfortunately does not have the Taoist/Buddhist heritage.

 

This is how i read it anyway.

Although Sri Lanka claims to hold a Buddhist history of over 1,000 years,it unfortunately belongs to the gradual ,trivial style of Buddhist legacy : the Hinayana , which to my bias , to my always stubborn support of Mahayana Buddhist way , is a style unlikely to nourish any great master.

 

I do read original Japanese, even classical Japanese Sutra, so I think I know how high they have achieved . For a marginal cultural system exists on the edge of the Asian continent,the Japanese does quite well , but not good enough to give rise to great masters...

 

Besides, the Japanese were too eager and too rush to strip off their Asian spiritual clothing during the Meiji Reform period, which I think they overdid it...

Edited April 26, 2011 by exorcist_1699

[adept]

Although Sri Lanka claims to hold a Buddhist history of over 1,000 years,it unfortunately belongs to the gradual ,trivial style of Buddhist legacy : the Hinayana , which to my bias , to my always stubborn support of Mahayana Buddhist way , is a style unlikely to nourish any great master.

 

The term Hinayana is a derogatory term meaning 'lesser vehicle'. Many Mahayana Buddhists wouldn't use that term when speaking of their Theravada brothers and sisters.

The Theravada tradition has produced countless great masters throughout it's history. There are a lot of vipassana masters living today in the West and also in South East Asia.

What you call a trivial style of Buddhism is probably the closest to the actual teachings of the historical Buddha, not everyone's favoured style, but hardly trivial.

[henro]

Although Sri Lanka claims to hold a Buddhist history of over 1,000 years,it unfortunately belongs to the gradual ,trivial style of Buddhist legacy : the Hinayana , which to my bias , to my always stubborn support of Mahayana Buddhist way , is a style unlikely to nourish any great master.

 

 

No, they practice Theravada . . . . but I'm not here to defend any religion or style of cultivation. That's a ridiculous argument that has no end. If someone can reach their spiritual goals worshipping the spaghetti monster that's fine with me. Sri Lanka has a beautiful tradition, and despite a long running civil war, is a country filled with devotion. There are also many practicing Hindu's and Muslims. And yes, I have met my share of teachers there as well.

 

If you want to argue over which path to take visit this thread:

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/10193-buddhism-transcends-the-tao/

Edited April 26, 2011 by robmix

[Dagon]

Just a thought.

 

Maybe the master's can't teach you because you are at a point where you must choose for yourself.

 

Like which door?

[Seth Ananda]

A master that is freaked out by 'vibes' is not a master at all. He is in fact still a slave despite any siddhis he may have attained in solitary retreat.

 

A master means 'Free' and free means exactly what the word connotes. Free!

 

Not hiding in some cave from the Scary vibes of the world. That is neither Free or Masterly.

[bodyoflight]

A master that is freaked out by 'vibes' is not a master at all. He is in fact still a slave despite any siddhis he may have attained in solitary retreat.

 

A master means 'Free' and free means exactly what the word connotes. Free!

 

Not hiding in some cave from the Scary vibes of the world. That is neither Free or Masterly.

 

yet when one is training to be a master, he has to get some training wheels on his bike..

 

besides even if you do possess the power to be "free" of vibes doesn't mean you want to be in a population center where you have to exercise your shield everyday..

 

unless they pay you to be there of course.. lol

[bodyoflight]

Just a thought.

 

Maybe the master's can't teach you because you are at a point where you must choose for yourself.

 

Like which door?

 

two rather high-level Taiwanese masters have taken one look at me and immediately shut the door on me.. when i called them up on the phone, they told me not to call them anymore or they will call the cops?

 

wtf mate..

 

choose what? which door to what?

[Dagon]

two rather high-level Taiwanese masters have taken one look at me and immediately shut the door on me.. when i called them up on the phone, they told me not to call them anymore or they will call the cops?

 

wtf mate..

 

choose what? which door to what?

 

Not for me to say, you would know if that were the case.

[Sloppy Zhang]

Just a thought.

 

Maybe the master's can't teach you because you are at a point where you must choose for yourself.

 

Like which door?

 

two rather high-level Taiwanese masters have taken one look at me and immediately shut the door on me.. when i called them up on the phone, they told me not to call them anymore or they will call the cops?

 

wtf mate..

 

choose what? which door to what?

 

Or it could be that you aren't ready for the masters to teach you.

 

yet when one is training to be a master, he has to get some training wheels on his bike..

 

besides even if you do possess the power to be "free" of vibes doesn't mean you want to be in a population center where you have to exercise your shield everyday..

 

unless they pay you to be there of course.. lol

 

If you're training to be a master, than you aren't a master, so the people you'd meet in the middle of nowhere might not be a master, and could zap you for interfering with their master training!

 

And if you were truly free of vibes, than it wouldn't matter what the vibes were any more than a blind person would care whether the walls were painted cream or beige.