Jesse Lee Parker/Dao Zhen

[Marcus]

Hi Markern,

I met Jesse many moons ago in Wudang. He used to run courses there.

He has a lot of knowledge and love for Taoism and the healing arts, studying since he was  young.

If you have the money Jesse would be a good investment I think. He is a kind and affable man that is happy to share his wealth of knowledge.

I dont think he has or teaches a lineage as such. Instead teaching what he has found affective over his many years of experience. Dont get too stuck on lineage and masters. It makes one stiff. Follow heart instead.

Its easy to feel like economic cannon fodder with so many charging so much. But sometimes you just have to jump in feet first and swim about a while.

Money is not so important... but time is.

Best of luck. Let us know how you get along.

Kind regards,

Marc.

 

[Partez]

There's absolutely no reason for someone to charge more for Qi Gong, than anyone charging to attend any other martial art.

 

That's my yard stick for figuring out if someone is just there to take people's cash.

 

I have no idea how much the guy you mentioned charges by the way, maybe it's reasonable, maybe not.

Edited November 2, 2023 by Partez

[Vajra Fist]

On 24/10/2023 at 1:14 AM, Mark Foote said:

I learned the first part of Cheng Man-Ch'ing's Tai Chi form in a park, from a local teacher, for free.  I still practice that, daily.  Not sure where you are, but I suspect there may be someone teaching his form near you.  As Gerard said, there is (was?) a tradition in Cheng's school to teach at least the first part of the form in a park, for free.

The books are good, although he searches for a physical explanation of the dan t'ien and I don't think that's what it's about:

"Master Cheng's Thirteen Chapters on Tai Chi Ch'üan", by Cheng Man-Ch'Ing and Douglas Wile | Jan 1, 1982

 

"Master Cheng's Thirteen Chapters on Tai Chi Ch'üan", by Cheng Man Ch'Ing, Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo, and Martin Inn

 

There are more.  Video:
 

 

 

Curious how you feel that this style of taiji specifically has helped your zen practice? 

 

I feel like the one drawback to sitting practices that don't have body scanning/progressive relaxation is the tendency to hold tension. What some might call energetic stagnation.

 

Do you feel the quality of song developed through CMC taiji extends into your physical zazen? And also, do you feel that you're able to 'song' the grasping to thoughts, to help you return to present awareness?

 

[Mark Foote]

On 11/2/2023 at 2:26 AM, Vajra Fist said:

 

Curious how you feel that this style of taiji specifically has helped your zen practice? 

 

I feel like the one drawback to sitting practices that don't have body scanning/progressive relaxation is the tendency to hold tension. What some might call energetic stagnation.

 

Do you feel the quality of song developed through CMC taiji extends into your physical zazen? And also, do you feel that you're able to 'song' the grasping to thoughts, to help you return to present awareness?

 

 

I'm oftentimes up in the middle of the night, and oftentimes I have to wait for things to come together before I can go back to bed (not like the monastery folks, who get up at 3:30am or 4, stay up, then sleep sitting up in the 6am zazen, then nap at 4pm before staying up to 10 or 11--that was the Chinese monastic routine prior to communism, according to Holmes Welch in his "The Practices of Chinese Buddhism 1900-1950").

I find that I can have good sittings at that hour, but I feel the effects in my knees the next day.  So instead, I practice standing as Cheng Man-Ch'ing taught as the preface to the form, and picking up on a natural shift of weight right arm-left leg to left arm-right leg.  Sometimes I will continue on with the first part of the form, which is all I know.  Sometimes I'll do that part of the form multiple times.  Eventually, and usually in no great amount of time, I'll get it together and go back to bed.

My summary of the active elements of the mindfulness of body, feelings, mind, and state of mind that Gautama recommended:
 

… thought applied and sustained with regard to relaxation of the activity of the body, with regard to the exercise of calm in the stretch of ligaments, with regard to the detachment of mind, and with regard to the presence of mind. 

(Common Ground)

 

 

In "Thirteen Chapters", Cheng outlines nine stages in the development of ch'i, and they mostly revolve around the role of ligaments in the practice.  I explore the context of his outline in A Way of Living, too much to quote here but foundational when I sit.  Relaxation first, then reciprocal innervation and stretch, in my experience.

"Song" is a tough one for me.  If that were not so, I never would have explored the teachings!  Occasionally I feel I've made progress on that, but more important to me is my approach.  An alternative to the distinction you draw between thought and "present awareness":
 

There can… come a moment when the movement of breath necessitates the placement of attention at a certain location in the body, or at a series of locations, with the ability to remain awake as the location of attention shifts retained through the exercise of presence.

 

There’s a frailty in the structure of the lower spine, and the movement of breath can place the point of awareness in such a fashion as to engage a mechanism of support for the spine, often in stages 

... When “doing something” has ceased, and there is “not one particle of the body” that cannot receive the placement of attention, then the placement of attention is free to shift as necessary in the movement of breath. (At such a moment,) the flow of “doing something” in the body, of activity initiated by habit or volition, ceases ....  Instead, activity is generated purely by the placement of attention, and the location of attention can flow.

... The difficulty is that most people will lose consciousness before they cede activity to the location of attention.

 

... Applying and sustaining thought would appear to be a preparatory practice, but in Gautama’s “intent concentration” (the mindfulness described in Anapanasati Sutta), the thought comes out of necessity in the free placement of attention in the movement of breath. The free placement of attention only occurs with clarity in the fourth concentration, but... such freedom is inherent in human nature.

... When a presence of mind is retained as the placement of attention shifts, then the natural tendency toward the free placement of attention can draw out thought initial and sustained, and bring on the stages of concentration:
 

… there is no need to depend on teaching. But the most important thing is to practice and realize our true nature… [laughs]. This is, you know, Zen.
 

(Shunryu Suzuki, Tassajara 68-07-24 transcript from shunryusuzuki.com)
 

 

(sentences taken from Shunryu Suzuki on Shikantaza and the Theravadin Stages, emphasis added)

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Mark Foote