Taoist Master Interview Questions

[dao zhen]

Dear friends.

 

I hope you are all in fine spirits.

 

I will wish to stop posting here shortly, but also will follow through and finish the work we started.

 

I am not sure now if I wish to offer the interview questions to the entire board, so if there are those that are sincerely interested to receive such information, please mail me and give me your personal emails, and I will send the information to the compiled list via my personal email; in this way the information is received by those who sincerely wish to read it.

 

I think it is better if the answers go to members who are sincere in reading this, so if you wish to be on the email list, please email or PM me with your personal email, and I will send it to all on the list.

 

With my very best wishes and intentions.

 

Sending much love.

 

Sincerely, dao zhen

[dao zhen]

Dear friends.

 

I hope all are in fine spirits and in good health.

 

Thank you all for your support and interest in this.

 

I have copied all of the questions listed here to a word document.

 

I will have to edit them, and compile it in some sort of order, and some questions that I feel will not be appropriate will be omited.

 

I will also most likely edit the remaining questions in a form that is polite, as we must be very honorific when asking for wisdom and guidence.

 

An accomplised being, often when answering questions may pose a question themselves, or may answer in the form of a discourse, citing examples from Taoist texts, their personal experience, or something that seems completely off the topic, but in reality it was what you needed to hear.

 

So I will transcribe the information that comes back, and post it here, yet please do not be dissapointed if you do not find:

 

Q - What is the Dantian?"

 

A -"Well, very good question......you see, the Dantian is located in such and such place, and you need to practice such and such to activate it,..etc"

 

This would be an answer in relation to western logic, which does not apply for an achieved person, generally speaking.

 

So, we may enjoy what we get back, and I am sure it will be very interesting and enlightening for most.

 

I will take a look back here shortly, so if there are any last minute questions, I am happy to hear them.

 

With all my best.

 

Sincerely, dao zhen

[dao zhen]

Dear Friends.

 

I hope all are in fine spirits and in good health.

 

I have spent time with the Taoist Alchemy Adept - Wayfarer Will To Learn Emptiness -

and transcribed his discourse.

 

I felt very thankful to receive this information and guidance.

 

The discourse covered many aspects of Alchemy, practice, theory, and his personal experience of different stages of development along this course.

 

I filled up a notebook with all the discourse he gave.

 

It is exciting for me to gain this information,

and it has given me insight into this direction we travel in as we practice the art of Internal Alchemy.

 

So, I am currently working to edit this, and post most of it here.

 

I hope it may give some of you insights into personal practice and cultivation.

 

As with achieved humans, he did not communicate in a manner such as we communicate here.

 

Talk on various subjects and levels of attainment went back and forth, up and down, sprinkled with images of nature, reference to alchemy terms, hexagrams, poetry, and in the middle of it all would come quotes from Taoist scripture, Chan San Feng, Lu Dong Bin, and others..........

 

I just wrote, and tried to get it all on paper.......

 

So it may seem none of the questions you asked were answered, but I think if you look deeply, you may find they were answered, just not in a direct logical and linear manner.

 

I offer it as a humble gift to the Tao Bums,

with the hope it may give some of you insight into your self cultivation and practice.

 

Coming soon...........

 

With all my love and respect.

 

Peace, dao zhen

[minkus]

Sounds great, i cant wait to check it out

[dao zhen]

Dear friends.

I hope all are in fine spirits.

I have posted the reply from the Taoist Internal Alchemy Teacher here in the forum under the title Discourse on Taoist Internal Alchemy

I hope this can perhaps give some a new idea or perspective on the practice and cultivation of Taoist Internal Alchemy.

I am just a student in these arts, not any sort of an expert; truly I have limitations based on my own personal experience or lack there of.

As I had gone to this Teacher with the list of questions given by the Tao Bums, and he agreed to offer his help and support, in the end he just talked and gave a long and animated lecture - which is the result of what is posted in the link above.

I came to understand that people who have achieved some height in the art of Taoist Alchemy do not seek to communicate in the linear manner we currently take part in, and it was very low level of me to think to ask such a person linear questions as we had originally posed.

I just wanted to share some of his views, as they have helped me, and I thought it may give some Tao Bums ideas, inspiration and perhaps direction in self cultivation.

By my personal experience and observation here in China, much of what is taught as "Taoist Internal Alchemy" in the West is mostly "Qigong" and not Alchemy.

Much of what is taught in the West may even be put under the title of Qigong that is derived from the Martial Arts tradition.

True Alchemy is something that is so mysterious, subtle, and abstract that in the end perhaps most can not begin to really fathom and comprehend what this art truly entails, how to practice it, and what it is composed of.

It has also been stated to me through our small circle of Teacher and fellow disciples that not every human has the proper attributes to gain progress in higher level Alchemy practice.

It has further been stated that to truly receive the art of Taoist Alchemy, one must be given direction by the Will of Heaven.

So we must just live our life, and follow what is given to us with a sincere and pure heart; seeking an external source or master is maybe not the proper direction to take.

Sometimes it may be best to just lead a very good, pure, wholesome and honest life rather than seek out an esoteric practice that promises exceptional power or mystical experience.

When the student is ready, the master appears.

Qigong is a wonderful art, and is a wonderful aid to gaining health, harmony, and hopefully some longevity of the corporeal body.

I personally also think it is fun to do moving Qigong, as it can give one a beautiful expression of the human form in motion.

Qigong forms the first stages of Alchemy, opening the channels, activation of the Dantian, storing of Acquired Qi, and more.......

Qi is like the bridge or the tunnel that is used to unite the Life Force and Innate Nature - a very important aim in the art of Alchemy.

Most sects of Alchemy actually may use very different methods of "Qigong" in the first stage to gain the above results - thus giving an outside observer the idea that these schools are training in different methods.

Yet further down the road, all Alchemy schools will converge on the same path - the same internal road signs will present themselves - the light of the Primeval Qi shining its brilliance, The converging and Unification of the Qi and Shen, the Appearance of the Mysterious Pass within the Internal Realm, and more........

Qigong is the first step in Alchemy practice, and is used in the first stages of Laying a Foundation, yet if you continue on the course of development, you move beyond this........

You move into the realm of the "intangible" and the "unseen", the "Pre Heaven" elements and even at a higher stage the "Pre-Pre Heaven" elements.

Acquired Qi in many regards has some tangible qualities and manifestations; Qigong masters who have some real attainment can usually manipulate their Acquired Qi in such a way as to give the student some "feelings" such as the "electric" stimulation when they project their Acquired Qi outside the corporeal body. Such Qigong masters also if they have some attainment should also be able to manipulate the students Qi and or remove some unhealthy elements.

Yet keep in mind this is all still in the realm of the seen, the felt, the observed and is based in the corporeal and physical world -

Alchemy is an art to transcend the corporeal and return to the root source - Reversal of the Course.

I had an interesting experience with such a Qigong master on Hainan Island, as he performed a method to "draw" what he was terming "Sick Qi" from the area around my knee - recently recovering from surgery - the area became very itchy, hot, some electric current feeling...... Hmmmm........ We went on to have lunch together, and were having fun, drinking tea and eating great foods........ The area where he had done the "drawing" became really itchy. I pulled back my pants, and was surprised to find the area was bright red, in an almost circular fashion and was full of these raised pimples that had become full of yellow puss...... Yuck...... I was amazed, and he laughed and said, "Good, Good.... poison coming out..."

This is real Qigong ability, and there are many other stories we could tell that are much more amazing than this from our Western perspective on what is "physical" reality and what lies in the realm of "possibility" of this physical reality.

This is a valid path, and a real attainment, and can give much help and aid in the realm of healing from disease, pain, and suffering; especially for those that do not have the proper will power to practice on their own.

Yet this is not Internal Alchemy.

True Alchemy transcends physical reality...........

Yet as a natural result of the practice of Taoist Alchemy, the physical or corporeal body will naturally be effected and as a result there will be no disease in the physical form and also the physical form will experience a quality change that will result in it lasting quite a long time as long as Heaven and Earth by some accounts - if the practitioner keeps it.

Most achieved adepts of Taoist Alchemy will shed the Corporeal Self just as easily as we shed our clothes as we slip into bed.......

By my study and very limited experience the very basis and starting point for Alchemy is the stilling of the Heart-Mind, allowing the Mind-Will to rest in an unmoving state within the Elixir Field, and ridding oneself of the affliction of Deluded Thoughts and Desires.

The various acts of imagination, visualization, directing the Qi, leading the Qi, sexual yoga, forceful Yogic breathing, complicated movement postures and the like by my limited experience have nothing to do with learning True Alchemy practice.

The starting point for the Way of Alchemy is simple........

To still the mind, transcending desire, craving, and attachment to form.

To travel in a complete and opposite direction from the common human.

Very difficult to put into practice.........

It is a very interesting time in history.

Traditions that have been held in the utmost secrecy are being revealed in small part and shown to the public.

Yet by my observation, there are still many aspects that are being kept in place and in secret.

I think that in the West, there may be much exploration and growth that may take place, as we have no cultural confines to bind us, and we may freely study, explore, experiment and combine.

I think it is a very interesting time, and I have only to most positive view of what is currently taking place.

I think perhaps America may play an important role in this exploration.

I will be saying goodbye here........

I am trying to finish all my computer work and obligations to be offline in a month or so and focus more on personal practice and our workshop offering this year.....

I hope to be up in Huashan by the end of March or April and in QingCheng Shan by the middle of May through to October

We shall see if this can actually happen, but I am trying........

I love the technology of the internet, but it also can take one away from other important activity.

I sometimes remember the days as a young boy when we had to send letters, or take the time to make a phone call to communicate; it seems maybe it was a simpler time.

I have much work to do, and also need to try and maintain some balance in my personal practice, so I am going to try and structure my life to not need to use the internet; yes I am also lazy in practice just like everyone else.

I have no claim to any sort of expertise or mastery; I am just a student.

I have really enjoyed meeting all of you in this medium, and hope to meet some of you in the flesh one day.

My email is listed on my profile, and you may send me an email some time if you want to become friends, or say hello.

I send all my best, and again thank you all you for your friendship and lessons here.

I have posted the reply from the Taoist Internal Alchemy Teacher here in the forum under the title Discourse on Internal Alchemy

You are all such beautiful people and seekers of Tao; it has been a pleasure to know you all for this brief time.

With my best regards, deep respect and much love.

Sincerely, dao zhen

[TaoTeChing]

.....

Edited July 9, 2010 by TaoTeChing

[TzuJanLi]

Greetings..

 

With humble gratitude..

 

What is the dynamic relationship between WuJi, Taiji, and Tao..

 

What is the Principle that governs the dynamic movements between Wuji, Taiji, and Tao..

 

Be well..

[fiveelementtao]

bump

The various acts of imagination, visualization, directing the Qi, leading the Qi, sexual yoga, forceful Yogic breathing, complicated movement postures and the like by my limited experience have nothing to do with learning True Alchemy practice.

 

The starting point for the Way of Alchemy is simple........

 

To still the mind, transcending desire, craving, and attachment to form.

 

To travel in a complete and opposite direction from the common human.

 

Very difficult to put into practice.........

 

It is a very interesting time in history.