Free Sample issue of The Empty Vessel - CommunityAwake

Yang-Sheng ( 養 生 Nurturing Life) is an E-zine forall Qigong, TaiChi,Yoga, Reiki, meditation practitioners, and spiritual cultivators.It promotes philosophy and methodsofself-healing, positive mindand health preservation. Yang-Sheng mergestraditional lifenurturingknowledge withmodern scientific research &clinicevidence; combinesancient wisdomwith our own experience tosupport our daily practice and well-being. Your contribution,participation,and sharingare truly welcomed andappreciated.Editor-in-chief: Solala TowlerProject1 11/6/07 10:31 PM Page 1Publisher: Kevin Chen, Ph.D.Associate Editors: Mantak Chia, Christina Beara, Aiguo Han, Ph.D. RogerJahnke, OMD, Joy Stellar,Michelle Wood, &more…http://Yang-Sheng.comEmail to editor@Yang-Sheng.comMichael Winn Qigong & Inner Sexual AlchemyDownload FREE $20. eBook: Way of the Inner Smile.25 Fabulous photos of spiritual smiles. 130 pages. HealingTaoUSA.comMichael Winn is a 30 year pioneer ofqigong and neidangong (inneralchemy) in the West. He co-wrote theclassic Taoist Secrets of Love with MantakChia and 7 other books. Ex-President,National Qigong Assoc.,founder HealingTao University. His 10 DVD/CD coursesbrilliantly integrate ancient Tao withmodern life. Read his articles, or come onhis China Dream Trip!5 ANIMALS-6 HEALING SOUNDS30 Qigong Tao Retreats• Top Masters of Taoist Arts• Medical, Martial, & Spiritual• Great food, fun people, hi Qi !• Fabulous Blue Ridge Mtns, N.C.• June –August; low costHealingTaoRetreats.com888-750-1773FREE BONUS $45. DVD on 1st phone order over $50.Call 888-999-0555 – Choose from 10 homestudy courses6 Summer 2011

Along the WayAs you can see by the information on the lastpage, we are up to new things with The Empty Vessel. Ithas been 19 years now that we first started publishing.We have struggled for all of these years to produce aninteresting, relevance and inspiring journal. Some ofyou have stuck with us for all of these years!Now it is time for us to evolve and grow and moveinto an even more interesting format. As Daoists we arededicated to growing and staying flexible. As the OldBoy says:When we are born we are supple and tenderlike a young plant.When we die we become rigid and unyielding.The ten thousand beings,including plants and grasses,when young are soft and pliable.At their death they are dry and brittle.Therefore we say that the stiff and unyieldingare the companions of death.The soft and yielding are the followers of life.In this way, an army may be strongbut it will be defeated.A mighty tree will be cut down.The great and mighty will fallwhile the soft and yielding will overcome.(76)So this is what we are doing here at the Abode –remaining flexible, open to new experiences, new waysof looking at the world, new ways of being and doing. Ifeel excited and exhilarated as well as more than a littleuneasy as the ground that I have known for so manyyears shifts under me. But I feel that I am being led andthat this change will actually bring The Empty Vesseland the Abode of the Eternal Dao to another level!I am also deeply indebted to my good friend FrancescoGarripolli who is the founder of the EnergyArts-Global project. It is with his guidance and belief in amagical and abundant universe that I am able to makethe changes that it will take to move the Abode intoa whole new world! (See his article on page 6 to seewhat I mean). I would also like to thank the wonderfulNaoka Chindo who is also doing a great deal to makethis happen! Mahalo to you both!I hope to see some of you at the NQA nationalconference in August in King of Prussia, PA See theirwebsite at NQA.org for info on this fun, fulfilling andfantastic event!Solala Towler, editorSubscribe toand receive four issues of•Insightful and stimulatinginterviews with contemporary Daoistmasters and teachers• Informative and inspirationalarticles on Daoist philosophy andpractice.• Reviews of the latestbooks & DVDs.Subscribe now for only $20 for oneyear and save $4 off the newsstandprice! (U.S. funds please.)NameAddressCityStateBegin my subscriptionwith the next issueZip(Add $15 for postage outside the U.S.)Abode of the Eternal Tao1991 Garfield StreetEugene, Oregon 97405541.345.8854or go to our website atwww.abodetao.comThe Empty Vessel 7

Conduit or Container?Francesco Garripolli8 Summer 2011

To see yourself as a Container is to live in a world of limits andscarcity. To see yourself as a Conduit is to live in a world of abundance.believe that the underlying concepts and beliefI systems that we hold about life affect everythingfrom the way a technique works to the actual physicsinvolved in any action. The things we do in life do notstand alone. There are no fixed rules that allow somethingto simple “happen” in an independent way. Howand what we feel, think, and believe about somethingtotally affects the outcome.That said, I see that many people hold a certain beliefthat can curtail their development and self-healing asit relates to Qigong. This belief system revolves aroundhow we “see” ourselves…Whether it was taught to youby a teacher or whether you simply found yourself acceptingit, you hold the belief that “you” (energeticallyand physically) are either a “Container” or a “Conduit.”This may sound funny, but answer the followingfour questions and please just answer with the firstresponse that come to your mind:1) When I practice Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Reiki orother energy art, I feel…a. I am gathering energy and storing it.b. I am channeling energy and being recycled by it.2) When I breathe during my personal practice…a. I fill up with air and hold it.b. I fill up with air and let it go simultaneously.3) When my body feels sick or uncomfortable…a. I feel my Qi is low.b. I feel my Qi flow is blocked.4) When I am feeling tired or exhausted…a. I feel I have run out of Qi.b. I feel my Qi is stagnant.Ok, not how you answered either “a” or “b” (youneed to commit to one of the other, whichever feels thestrongest pull).If you answered with even one “a” you are livingwith a belief system that you are in the Containercategory.If you only answered with one “a” then we may bedealing only with semantics.If you answered with two or three “a” answered,then we need to play with these concepts for a bit.If you answered with all “b” answers then you are afull-fledged Qi Conduit so please pass “Go” and collectyour 200 dan tians…Now granted, we can get into some philosophicaldiscussion here and split hairs over the details and words,but I have a simple goal here in sharing this exercise. Myhope is to get you to rethink the way you see your body/mind/spirit.To see yourself as a Container is to live in a world oflimits and scarcity. You will always be concerned withmaking sure you are “full” and you will begin to worrywhen you are less than full. A Container can only holdso much. You will always “want” more. The Containercompares itself in capacity to other Containers, always externallyreferencing, looking outside to be satisfied. Thisis the way of the ego, driven by fear. You will be happywhen you are full and sad when you are empty. This isthe roller coaster world of the ego/fear/belief system forthe Container category of Qigong practitioners.To see yourself as a Conduit is to live in a world ofabundance. You will embrace the infinite nature of ourUniverse and sense your immersion in boundless Qi. AConduit can channel the whole of the Universe whileholding onto nothing. Every breath you take will passthrough you and you will receive exactly what yourequire. Your inhales are as fulfilling as your exhales,knowing that each release is a cleansing and an offering tothe world. The Conduit is focused on living self-reflectionand inner flow…infinite connection to every atom in theUniverse and you see everything as a reflection of self,as the infinitude of existence, our Dreaming, constantlypasses through us. The Conduit doesn’t need to store Qi…the Conduit knows she is Qi and immersed in an infinitefield of Qi. Access is implicit in the Way of the Conduit.I suggest you revisit these four questions above nowthat you’ve read this…see if any of your “a” answers havechanged…and if they haven’t maybe this has inspiredyou to question a little deeper and embrace the Way ofthe Conduit. Peace…Francesco Garri Garripoli is the author of Qigong – Essenceof the Healing Dance and Tao of the Ride. He teachesworldwide and through a series of Qigong instructionalDVDs with Daisy Lee. The director and producer of the PBSdocumentary, Qigong – Ancient Healing for the 21st Century,Francesco works to support families and youth through hisnon-profit www.KahunaValley.org. His newest venture, www.WujiTech.com, offers powerful online software solutionsfor coaching, mentoring, health tracking, consulting, andpersonal development. For more on his and Daisy’s workwith Qigong, visit www.WujiProductions.com.The Empty Vessel 9

10 Summer 2011

The Ox-herding Chart of Chan Buddhismand the Enlightenment Process It TellsRewritten and translation by Hu Xuezhiedited by Muriel KirtonEditor's note: This article, by our Wudang friend HuXuezhi, may list Chan Buddhism in the title, but we felt thatthere was such a lot that was real Daoism in the article that itwould be of interest to our readers.For many years, the English translation of the OxherdingChart of the Chan Sect of Buddhism has attracteda great deal of interest and attention, and has been thesubject of intensive study by Western readers. The illustratedpoem was composed in classical Chinese, whichunfortunately means that, for many readers in mainlandChina today, the meaning can be difficult to grasp, sincethe opportunities to study classical Chinese literatureare limited. As things stand, the Chart seems to havegained much more popularity in America and Japanthan in mainland China where people nowadays wouldrarely hear of it being used or referred to by mainlandChan Buddhists.Several years ago, I read a martial arts novel byHuang Yi, which had a title along the lines of “Shatterthe Emptiness into Many Pieces”, He made liberal useof the poem from the Ox-herding Chart to describe how,in the course of his study and practice, the hero of thenovel progressed step by step towards the attainmentof immortality. However, as regards the tangible natureof his achievements, we are merely offered descriptivewords and phrases about the nature of the mindand the hero’s diligent advancement towards ‘suddenenlightenment’. We are in no sense given descriptivedetails or an explanation regarding the regulation ofthe breath or the deployment of Chi. In the practice ofinner alchemy (immortality study), it would be characterizedas ‘talk concerning only mercury, as yet withoutlead.” You can easily deduce from this that the authoris simply a poet or literary scholar of the Wei and JinDynasty, whose interest lay in crafting metaphysicaland mythical stories compiled from a mix of differentelements and components lifted from Chan literature.However, after a detailed/careful reading and contemplationof both the Chart and the accompanying poems, I wassuddenly struck by the realization that the Ox–herdingChart reveals many of the features that define the practicalprocess of inner alchemy practice (immortality study).There may be some Buddhists or scholars from the ChanSect who would refute my observation, but after manydays of meditation, it seems that I feel more certitudeabout my assertion.Let me explain. I had a sudden insight that thechart can be understood as an illustration that depictsthe sequence of progressive stages leading to the attainmentof immortality, with each stage being describedand characterized by different symbols, each holding aspecific meaning. As we know, for the Chan sect, there isChan poetry, and for immortality practice there is NeiDan(inner alchemy) poetry. Chan poetry is often characterizedby the subtlety of a full moon located far beyondthe pointing finger, whereas NeiDan poems most oftenfeature highly metaphorical, artistic concepts which liesomewhere between that which can be perceived, andthat which is totally beyond any perception whatsoever.Immortality teaching does not talk about ‘immediateor sudden enlightenment’, nor does it make assertionssuch as “All things created by cause and its accessoryconditions have no reality.” Similarly, it does not promoteconcepts such as “immediately become an immortal.’’ Yetits gradual and progressive approach can lead to success,when followed systematically from the beginning, andpursued without the omission of any necessary steps.Nonetheless it seems to hold little attraction for practitionersfrom the Chan sect, even though it truly leadsupwards, like a super-straight ladder.Although the Chan sect often talks about immediate,or sudden, enlightenment and the realization of full attainmentfree from all hindrance, we should not take thatto mean that we are freed from the need to apply effort,either prior to, or subsequent to, reaching that attainment.Otherwise, Huineng (the sixth patriarch) would not havebeen required to toil over the grindstone for nine monthsbefore reaching his attainment, nor would he have beenrequired to run to join a hunting team, and thereafterembark on practices that lasted for nineteen years. Lateron, when he began to teach, what did he teach? In thebeginning he taught the chant “Prajna Paramita’’ (Reachingthe Other Shore). To speak truthfully, the goal of theChan Sect is to arrive at a state of mutual affinity betweenteacher and disciple, while for the study of immortalitythe goal rests on the infusion of varying levels of YangQi. In essence, both lie well beyond the descriptive facultyof either spoken or written language, as regards theauthentic aptitude, ability and skills involved.The Empty Vessel 11

The study of Chan and its subtlety, lies in Chan’sallegoric connotations, or ‘the understanding which isgained in an instant’. This incorporates a rational element,but leaves no opening for any form of speculation.Only mutual affinity can prompt the sudden perceptionand understanding of the allegorical meaning, whichprimarily arises from the attained idea that “all thingsthat are produced by cause and associated conditionshave no reality,” and “the mind remains unimpeded, nomatter what.”The subtlety of immortality study however, lies inthe Mysterious Pass, which serves as the only channelof communication connecting both the Pre-heaven andPost-heaven domains. The Mysterious Pass lies neitherwithin nor outside the corporeal body and neither withinthe interior nor the exterior. It presents itself only whenthe interior resonates with the exterior, so allowing thenatural to concur with the artificial, with the prerequisitethat both Shen and Chi are already sufficient for the process.We can use the analogy of love to illustrate the stateof being: the feeling of love between a woman and a manarises spontaneously, and the majority of people knowthat love cannot be forced. Similarly, both emptiness andnaturalness begin to meet in harmony and communicatewith each other, though both vary in the degree to whichthey become apparent.You may perhaps wonder whether it is possible forimmortality study/internal alchemy and the study ofChan to meet up with each other in one place, or on onethoroughfare, without there being obstacles betweenthem? Let us read the following passage which is anexcerpt from Chuang Tzu, entitled “The Fasting of theMind”, translated by Victor H. Mair“I have nothing further to propose,” said Yen Hui. “Iventure to ask you for a method.”“Fasting,” said Confucius. “I shall explain it for you. Ifyou do things with your mind, do you think it will be easy?Bright heaven will not approve one who thinks it will be easy.”“My family is poor,” said Yen Hui, “and it’s been severalmonths since I’ve drunk wine or tasted meat. May this beconsidered fasting?”“This is fasting suitable for sacrifices, but it is not fastingof the mind.”“I venture to ask what ‘fasting of the mind’ is,” said Hui.“Concentrate your mind-will. Hear not with your ears,but with your mind; not with your mind, but with your Chi.Let your hearing stop with the ears, and let your mind stopwith natural concordance. Chi, however, is vacuous and empty,accommodating all. There is none but Tao who dwells in theempty vacuity. And becoming empty and vacuous is the fastingof the mind.”“Before I am able to exercise fasting of the mind,” said YenHui, “I truly have an identity. But after I am able to exercise it,I will no longer have an identity. Can this be called emptiness?“Exactly so!” replied the master. “Let me tell you. Enter androam about this realm, but without any awareness of what therealm is. In the event of arrival in it sing in concert with it; incase of no arrival in it stop at the cessation. Let the door openand close, by its own course. House all as an undivided wholeand lodge in that which takes the course all in its natural way.Then you are close to it. To leave no footprints is easy; to walkon no ground is difficult.“If you are impelled by human feelings, it is easy to befalse; if you are impelled by nature, it is hard to be false. I’veonly heard of creatures that fly with wings, never of creaturesthat fly with nonwings. I’ve only heard of people knowingthings through awareness, never of people knowing thingsthrough unawareness. Observe the void – the empty roomemits a pure light. Good fortune lies in stopping when itis time to stop. If you do not stop, this is called ‘gallopingwhile sitting.’ Let your senses communicate within and ridyourself of the machinations of the mind. Then even myriadthings are transformed. It is that to which Yao and Shunbound themselves, and that which Fuhsi and Chich’u exercisedall their lives. All the more is it suited for the masses.”The famous inner alchemist Chen Yingningonce wrote 24 stanzas of NeiDan poetry. Below,we have selected two for your appreciation:The first poemUltimate reality shines forth, illuminating the grains of sandwhich line the banks of the river GangesThose of the world, the sages, the enlightened, all, at theirorigin, sharing one common source.Each, when free of thoughts arising, converging in stillnesstowards complete expression,Yet, when moved by just one single sense, is already eclipsedby clouds.Ridding oneself of all affliction. And to what end? The additionof illness!Drawing near to true thusness. And to what end? The emergenceof a diverging path!Meekly following the predestined relationship as it arises andkeeping the mind free of hindrance. And to what end?Nirvāna, birth and death, do but compare to hollow flowersfloating in the air.The second poemOvercome emptiness, free yourself of accumulated kalpaand endure for a billion years,Bid farewell to the canoe that ferried us to the far shore.End your endless search for the countless tomes written onimmortality, even though you know the final words have notyet been composed.So what is meant by ‘the final words’? Are theywords that could not be uttered, or words that the authordid not wish to voice? The answer, provided by Chen12 Summer 2011

Yingning, is that the author did not dare not to voice thewords, since it may have alarmed the readers. So exactlywhat words were they? To find the answer let us turnto the illustrations and consult the poems of the chart.Ode to the Ox-herding Chart1. The untamed Ox outside the herdFerociously, the ox bellows and, free of all constraints,Thrusts about with its crooked horns,Racing wildly round the mountainTo where the river turns away, and the road stretchesoff into the far distance.A bank of black cloud hangs over the opening to the valley,And who can tell how much destruction is wrought tothe young seedlingsTrampled underfoot in the farmer’s field!Here the ox is a metaphor for the heart-mind, whichhas not been reined in or subjected to any form of discipline.It prefers to be free and uncurbed, chasing afterwhatever it finds desirable or congenial, pleasing orcompelling, even at the expense of physical and emotionalwellbeing. Accordingly, all possible means shouldbe employed to tame it and take it in hand. This conceptseems to correlate more closely to the methods of theTaoist alchemist than the practitioner of Chan Buddhism.A propos, Lao Tzu said in chapter 12 of the Tao TeChing:The five colours make the eyes blind;The five notes make the ears deaf;The five flavors rob the mouth of taste.Riding and hunting make the mind wild;Therefore, The Yellow Emperor went to see MasterKuang Ch’eng, to ask about the administration of thebody:Master Kuang Ch’eng sat up with a start. “It is excellent,this question of yours! Come, I will tell you about the PerfectTao. The essence of the Perfect Tao is profoundly obscure andvague; the subtlety of the Perfect Tao is profoundly elusive andstill. See nothing, hear nothing, enfold Shen in quietude andthe body will go right , of its own accord. Be still, be pure, donot labor your body, do not churn up your Jing, and then youcan live a long life. There is nothing to be beheld by the eyes,nothing to be heard by the ears, nothing to be known by theheart, thus your Shen shall guard the body, and the body willthereby enjoy a long life. Cherish that which is within you, blockoff what is outside you, too much knowledge will do you harm.If the poem was intended to characterize the teachings ofthe Chan sect, it would not talk about the unruliness of theheart-mind (ox) when the heart-mind is the main issue underconsideration. Otherwise, slaughtering the ox with a sharpsword would not be the answer to the problem (Particularlysince Zen Buddhism is opposed to killing). Similarly, if it isintended to characterize (the teachings of) the six patriarchs ofthe Chan sect, we might expect to be given the directive “keepdusting it to prevent it from incurring the least speck of dust.”So, why then does the word “forgetfulness” appear in laterpoems? The concept of “forgetfulness” reflects the approachof Huang Tzu where you readily find passages such as “To beforgetful in sitting meditation”, which advocates combining theheart-mind with the breathing (listening to the breath), andallowing the heart mind and breath to harmonize and becomeat one with each other. Thereafter, falling into forgetfulness ofboth breath and heart-mind, forgetting about everything, incomplete oblivion and without intervention, following whateverarises or fades away.2. The Initial Taming of the OxTaking a rope, I run it through the nose of the ox, andcling fast!His first attempt to go haring off is well rewarded with burningpain from the lash of the whip !But, with the determined strength of ingrained, wild inclinations,He struggles against all change and modification.Now the ox-herd boy must bring his full abilities to bearThe Empty Vessel 13

on his struggle to transform the ways of the ox!In meditation people may initially find it difficult tokeep their thoughts and mind quiet, since the heart-mindis easily drawn by objects and attractions outside itself.This can be likened to young schoolchildren who cannotremain silent or sit motionless (a requirement that,in the Chinese education system, reflects the behaviortraditionally expected of children in kindergarten orjunior schools!). For them it truly is agony since they areforced to comply).Most people know that it is difficult to tame a wildox, especially if, whip in hand, you mount on its backand order it to head east or west. In that situation, youknow that you risk falling from its back, or even falling toyour death, when the ox runs amok. Therefore, the bestsolution is to “cling fast to a rope that runs through thenose of the ox’’, thereby easily directing the ox to move inany direction you choose, and avoiding the risk of beingthrown from its back. In fact, from the standpoint of analchemist, such a rope denotes the breath. For a novicein meditation, it indicates that the heart-mind shouldrest upon the breathing. Yet, for most practitioners, it iscertain that they will encounter difficulties created bythe heart-mind that remains at large, and refuses to comeunder control.To facilitate the process, additional methods shouldbe introduced, such as counting the breath, or using reversebreathing (expanding the abdomen when exhaling,and contracting it when inhaling). This clarifies the wordsNow the ox-herd boy must bring his full abilities to bear onhis struggle to transform the ways of the ox!3. Beginning the Process of ModificationAll day long, still handling the rope with no less strength,The ox-herd boy grows accustomed tothe gradual forgetfulness, and tiredness.Start with counting the breath, and after some time, youmay find that the heart-mind has been gradually beenfreed of much of its delusional thinking, and begins tofollow the inhaling and exhaling of the breath withoutthe need for assistance. Even though stray ideas may attimes arise, the heart-mind will soon be back on trackwith the breath once again. Accordingly, the experiencearises of “wading across rivers or sailing through clouds,the ox begins to follow instinctively, one step at time.”However, from time to time, the attention of the heartmindmust be re-focused upon the breath, lest it shouldresume its former course, and again wander around withno constraints.At the beginning such intensity of effort maybe very tiring, but with time, practitioners slowlybecome accustomed to it, and the feeling of tirednessdisappears in a natural fashion. Here, we referto “The Ode to the Mythical Source and theGrand Tao,” written by Chao Wen Yee to elucidate:When, one day, attainment is achieved, it is a fully freeexcursion.Reflecting upon the process of refining and cooking, youwill sigh over the effort expendedThrough striving, even though, in truth, no diligencewas required,Since the work requires only the fostering of the primevalShen.It is regrettable that the mind prefers to be active.At this critical time, whether to hone, or be set free, all isheld within the palm of your hand!4. Looking backWith modifications and adjustments, he steadily tempersthe wildness of the ox,Winning its slow but sure submission.Wading across rivers or sailing through clouds, theox begins to follow instinctively, one step at a time.In the course of time, as meritorious endeavors successivelybear fruitLittle by little, it comes to pass that wildness reaches itsend,And, slowly, frenzied force becomes meek gentleness.14 Summer 2011

Yet, being not yet sure this will remain constant andunchangedThe mountain boy still holds the rope tethered withinhis hands.After the practice of counting the breath, together withlistening to the breathing, it is less difficult to tamethe heart-mind than before. Its unruliness begins to beworn down, and, unconsciously, it begins to cleave tothe breath. However, this is still not the right time toenter the second phase, which is “to listen with Chi”,since the heart-mind and breath have not yet been fullyunified. Taoist inner alchemy books prefer to use metaphor.The heart-mind is likened to women, and thebreath to men, and the combining of the two is signifiedthrough the symbol of sexual intercourse. This hasled to considerable confusion, resulting in the theoryof dual cultivation between men and women, whichcontinues to be a popularly held concept in the westernworld. It should be understood to be but metaphor,and should not be interpreted as one of the paths toenlightenment, as most false masters claim.Although, at this stage, the heart-mind and breathbegin to attach to each other, it is necessary to ‘set theintent’ to keep them conjoined, in order for them to holdtogether. Thus, “The mountain boy still holds the ropetethered within his hands.”together has simply become a prolongation of excess‘attachment’ , which is unnecessary, since the two havegradually united to form a ‘oneness’ that cannot readilybe split apart. This state is known as “to listen with Chi.”Even though there may occasionally be moments whenthe senses become active, and dispassionately enter thenon-conscious domain, it will have no effect due to thefact that the heart-mind, for no one knows how long aperiod of time, has entered into a state of ‘being in love’with the breath. Therefore, there is no longer any needto deliberately listen to, or continue to count the breath.6. Free of hindrance5. TamedCompletely at ease, dozing or falling asleep, at will, onthe open ground ,No longer driven onwards by the whip, free as the air.Happy under the green pines, the ox-herd boy sitssteadilyAnd peacefully plays a gentle tunethat tells of more than any happiness.Beside the old stream, under the shade of green poplar trees,Allowing the rope to drop from his hands, or tighteningit up,All has been accomplished in its own way.By nightfall, green clouds roam high above the meadow,The ox-herd boy is returning, yet the rope hangs loose.At this point, the condition of “the heart-mind andbreathing depending upon each other” has alreadybeen attained. Any further intention to hold them joinedThe stage attained at this point should be termed thestage where both Shen and Chi are unified to form aoneness, which lies well beyond the phase of “the heartmindand breathing depending upon each other,” sincethe consciousness has gradually blurred, leaving only avery small percentage of lucid awareness, and even thisis almost unconscious of any breathing. It is, however, notthe emptiness of nothingness as described by Buddhism,but an intimation of spontaneous circulation in operation,in which the senses and breath are both transformedinto two different types of energy. One is Shen and theother is Chi. The former enters the latter while the latterembraces the former. So, you can see the changes thathave taken place throughout the process: firstly listen tothe breath, then ‘enjoy and engage with its company’,and ‘get along with’ the breath, then become closer andThe Empty Vessel 15

merge with it to “feel” the manifestation initiated by thetransforming force of great nature — the spontaneouscirculation. One famous Taoist scripture, called the 100-Word Monument, reads “sit to listen to non-chord song,run unimpeded into the core mechanism of Creation byridding yourself of the obscurity of illusion. Peacefullyplaying a gentle tune that tells of more than any happiness.”Up to now, can you perceive something from thesewords or something beyond these words?For illustration, let us consider the poem “Admonitionon Regulating Breathing” by Zhu Shih (a greatphilosopher in the Ming Dynasty).Nose white, I have sight of it;Relaxed, and at ease, come join with it and enjoy the accord.Becoming quieter and quieter, it seems it spreads widely,expanding out like the spring marsh where fish roam;For a long time immersed in constant motion, whereuponall then seems to converg , like insects gathering togetherto sleep through winter.In diffusion, opening to accommodate all, and in turn,closing to hibernate,The wonder of it is beyond words!Who, then, is the master of it all?Only the dominance of non-mastery is worthy of such greatness.At this time the dominance of non-mastery begins toplay its part and, of its own accord, the situation arisesof being “No longer driven onwards by the whip, freeas the air.”7. Following the natural courseWillow bank and green ripples dissolve into the sunset,Leisurely fingers of gray fog stretch out, grass spreads invelvet green .Hunger is served with food, thirst quenched with drink,at all times true to the manner and affinity of their occurance.Stretched out on the stone, the ox-herd boy lies soundly asleep.Here, “sleeping” lies at the core of the meaning behindthe words, which in turn, correlate with the maincharacteristics of immortality study. From the perceptionsof the initial stage, to the later state of oblivion,from the combination of Shen and Chi to the involvementin the spontaneous motion of ‘unified oneness’,success lies upon the precept which directs us “tofollow the natural course,” without any intervention.Eventually, this brings about “natural evaporation,natural convergence and natural cessation.” (if thereis nothing at all, what is left for us to follow around?)At this point, the practitioner has reached the stagewhere the heart-mind stops at the natural concordance,and the listening stops at the ears. Accordingly, we cansay that all perception and consciousness graduallycome to an enduring standstill, or reach a state whichis dominated by ‘constant standstill’. You may construethis to mean a state of sleep. However, the fact is thatwhen ordinary people sleep, they are in the companyof dreams; when practitioners sleep, they are completelyfree of dreams, since all consciousness comesto a standstill. It rests, or “is deprived of all functionality”.Or, to express it in other words, the differencebetween the awakened state and the sleeping statedisappears. So, the ox-herd boy falls soundly asleep.Here we borrow a passage from Chuang Tzu for betterunderstanding (translated by Victor H. Mair)“How do I know that love of life is not a delusion? How doI know that fear of death is not like being a homeless waif whodoes not know the way back home? When the state of Chin firstgot Pretty Li, the daughter of the border warden of Ai, she wepttill her robe was soaked with tears. But after she arrived at theking’s residence, shared his fine bed, and could eat the tendermeats of his table, she regretted that she had ever wept. How doI know that the dead may not regret their former lust for life?“Someone who dreams of drinking wine at a cheerfulbanquet may wake up crying the next morning. Someone whodreams of crying may go off the next morning to enjoy the sportof the hunt. When we are in the midst of a dream, we do notknow it’s a dream. Sometimes we may even try to interpret ourdreams while we are dreaming, but then we awake and realizeit was a dream. Only after one is greatly awakened does onerealize that it was all a great dream, while the fool thinks thathe is awake and presumptuously aware. ‘My excellent lord!’‘Oh, thou humble shepherd!’ How perverse they are!“Both Confucius and you are dreaming, and I too amdreaming when I say that you are dreaming. This sort oflanguage may be called enigmatic, but after myriad generationsthere may appear a great sage who will know howto explain it and he will appear as though overnight!”16 Summer 2011

“Could I obtain Tao by studying it?” asked Nan-po Tsekuei.“No! How can you?” said Nu-Yu. “You are not that typeof person. I rememberPuliang-I. He had all the talent to becomea sage, but not the way to become a sage, whereas I had the wayto become a sage but without the talents of a sage. But do youthink I was indeed able to teach him to become a sage? Hadthings not been thus, in seeking the way to accomplish the sage’sTao, it would have been an easy matter to identify someone witha sage’s talents. I patiently kept watch over him, and talkedto him. In three days, he could put the world outside himself.Again I kept watch over things for seven more days, and, atthat point, then he could leave all concerns outside himself. Iwaited for another nine days, after which he could put all beingsoutside himself. After putting all beings outside himself,he was able to achieve the thorough awakening of the dawn.After he could achieve the thorough awakening of the dawn,he then had a clear vision of absolute independence, and afterthat, he could do away with past and present. After he coulddo away with past and present he was able to enter the domainwhere life and death are no more. That which causes life to diedoes not itself die; that which gives life to life does not itself live.This is the kind of thing it is: there is nothing it does not let go,and nothing it does not greet with welcome. There is nothingit does not destroy, and nothing it does not completely fulfill.This is the meaning of ‘attaining peace amidst confusion andstrife.’ After the confusion and strife, completion is attained.Here let us pay attention to the following sentence:”After he could achieve the thorough awakening of thedawn, he then had a clear vision of absolute independence’.The meaning in this context is ‘shining in independence’or ‘independent shining’. In Chinese Pin Yin itis called “Shen Du.” This is a thing of subtlety, which issubject to neither increase nor decrease, shining overall of heaven and earth and composed of one completeball of brightness. When a single full moon rises highin a clear sky, an unlimited number of moons shine inthe rivers and lakes. If we talk about its exterior- it isinfinite, if we talk about its interior - nothing can be heldwithin it. Thus we see that the barrier between interiorand exterior disappears, indicating the absoluteness, ortotal independence, which is attained once the realm ofrelativity, where all things remain relative to each other,has been transcended. Yet, it is still not the end since ‘astate of being’ continues to exist, albeit in a completelydifferent realm. Accordingly, that state of being continuesto operate as a barrier, or an illusion, based upon theremains, or the corpses, of the deceased.Those who have some knowledge of Buddhismtheory will understand that this stage denotes severalstages within the process called ‘Cultivating-Way’, thefourth of five enlightenment phases (accumulation stage,beneficial practice stage, seeing-path stage, cultivating-Way stage and gaining-fruit-of-Buddhahood stage10. Double annihilationBoth man and ox are nowhere, free of any footprintsthat can be traced!The light of a bright full moon shines over all, penetratingeverything without exception.If, in the end, you enquire about the workings andmethods of it all,Wild flowers and fragrant grass all nod as the breezecomes on.Here we see all that all traces and deceased corpseshave been disposed of. You may ask about the meaningof the ‘traces and deceased corpses’. In fact, it signifiesthe traces or corpses of deceased, sullied habituation andboth afflictive hindrance and noetic hindrance. These areso insubstantial and of such a degree of subtlety, thatany attempt to divest ourselves of them is such a trulychallenging undertaking, that many people fail in theirendeavour, or only partially complete the task.Let us borrow a few words from Chuang Tzu: “This isthe kind of thing it is: there is nothing it does not releaseand let go, and nothing it does not greet with welcome.There is nothing it does not destroy, and nothing it doesnot conclude. This is the meaning of ‘attaining peaceamidst confusion and strife.’ After the confusion andstrife, the completion is attained.Thus you can well understand the words. If, in theend, you enquire about the workings and methods ofit all, Wild flowers and fragrant grass all nod as thebreeze comes on.Why? Because the mountain still is the mountain,the river still is the river. So you may therefore askwhether anything has changed. No! The wild flowersand fragrant grass are all shaking their heads!From the times of Zhang Ziyang, there have beeninstances where fellow students from both immortalitystudy and the Chan sect have met together. Some studentsof immortality study had failed to gain practicalprogress because of their attachment to the so-called“being”, “elixir pill”, “small water wheel”, “large water18 Summer 2011

wheel”, “medicinal substance”, “firing process” and As NEW a long-term FROM Taoist SOLALA embracer, TOWLER Master Hu began his studyso on. Therefore, they turned to the Chan sect to seek of Taoism from 19 years old when China still hesitated ata breakthrough, and thus introduced many ideasCHAandDAO: the THE door WAY of opening OF TEA, up TEA to the AS outside A WAY world. OF Due LIFE to a weakconcepts typical of immortality study into Chan. There isconstitution he got ill often so various medicines had alwaysIn China, the art and been practice his close of drinking friend since tea is 12 rooted years in old. Daoism; To discharge it emerged the harassmentthat honored by illness a life he of tried grace Kungfu and gratitude, bare-handed balance form and sets,little to be found concerning wind, fire, water, and earth infrom a philosophyChan poems, but they are often filled with descriptions harmony, of fulfillment weapons and enjoyment manipulation, — what long-distance the ancient run, Chinese basketball, called Qigong Chanatural scenery. Similarly, many people who have Dao, studied or the Way of of Tea. a variety of schools, secret herbal medicine formulas, andBuddhism and Confucianism have also failed to make so on. At last, Qigong practice brought a eventual recoveryprogress, and they, in turn, have sought a solution Cha Dao from takes us on and a fascinating from that time journey on through he began the to Way devote of Tea, his from efforts its originsin the sacred the mountains study of and Taoism, temples Buddhism of China and through their its study links of to enlighten-Daoistuponimmortality study. Hence, terminology used in Buddhismand Confucianism frequently appears in immortalityconcepts such as ment. wu wei He or is non-striving an expert in and internal the Value alchemy of Worthlessness, practice because to hepoetry. Thus we arrive at the present situation. the affinity which between traveled Tea Mind many and many the Japanese places within spirit of China Zen. Interspersed to search for is a theis dominated by the convergence of Taoist immortalityliberal helping of quotes answers from from the many great tea Taoist masters and of Buddhist the past hermits and traditional hiding indeep and secluded places. Master Hu offers workshops andstudy, Buddhism and Confucianism. tea stories from China and Japan. The unique health benefits of tea are alsoexplored and a chapterclassesis devotedonline andto theinhistory,the mysticalcharacteristicsWudangandMountains.propertiesHecan be reached through his website at www.taoiststudy.com.“Both fish and waters of river and lake reciprocally of 25 different forget tea varieties.about each other; both people and all the means (measures,This book will interest tea lovers as well as those who want to learn moreprocesses and methodologies, etc) they reciprocally hold on to,about tea culture, Daoist and Zen thought and practice, and Asian historyforget about each other.” Let us make an effort so that Buddhism,Confucianism and Taoism might all reciprocallyand culture.forget about each other, and walk upon the grand A reviewer path says “Cha Dao is not only a wonderful book on tea, its history, andleading to the eternal Tao!$16.95 + $5 s&h fromthe joy of appreciating its warmth, aroma, and its many flavors, but is also anAbode of the Eternal Taoexcellent primer on Daoist thinking and living. I loved this book. It informed me541.345.8854about tea and the customs surrounding it, lifted my spirit, and sharpened my mind.or your local bookstoreFor those who enjoy tea, it deserves a place on your bookshelf."(autographed copies available)The Empty Vessel Editing ServiceDo you have a book you want to write about your teaching, yourlife experiences or anything else you want to share with the readingpublic? Do you need help with organizing, research, editing,design or even co-writing?We are here to help! With years of experience in writing, editing,publishing and design we can help you make your publishingdream a reality!Are you interested in creating a cd of your classes, lectures, guidedmeditations etc? We can also help design and record originalbackground music for your cd. We can even introduce you to alow-cost and professional way to print your cds.Call us at 541.345.8854 or write to solala@abodetao.com and letus know how we can serve you!34The Empty VesselThe Empty Vessel 19

New From Sounds TrueQi Gong for Health & Healing by Lee HoldenA Complete Training Course toUnleash the Power of Your Life-Force Energy6 CDs5 DVDs34 Cards127-Page WorkbookAll the Tools for aPersonalized Qi Gong PracticeQi Gong for Health andHealing Highlights• Qi Gong for self-healing—simpleacupressure techniques for activatingyour body's healing points.• Emotions as energy—qi gongmovements and meditations to balanceand heal emotions.• The Healing Sounds Practice—detoxify your major organ systemswhile cultivating mental calm.• Meridians and the microcosmicorbit—learn how to circulate energythroughout the body as you opento spiritual insights.Lee Holden is an internationally celebratedqi gong master who has appearedregularly on PBS. He is a doctor of Chinesemedicine, a licensed acupuncture,and an international instructor in qiggong, meditation, t'ai chi, and stressmanagement. Currently, Lee is the cofounderof the Santa Cruz IntegrativeMedicine and Chi Center.$149 + $15 p & hAbode of the Eternal Tao1991 Garfield St Eugene OR 97405541.345.885420 Summer 2011

surrogates that are capable of action to do their biddingin the world. For this reason, they create Fire and Water,which they conceive through their union.The Universe Suspended Between YinAnd Yang And Composed Of TheFour ElementsWind, Lake, Mountain, and Thunder are quintessentialexamples of phenomena that arise via the interactionof Heaven, Earth, Fire, and Water. Via the union of eachof the trigrams with each other, the 4 become 8. Via thecombination of the 8 with each other, the 8 become the64 hexagrams of the Yi Jing. Via the combination of the64 with each other, Lao Tzu’s "10,000 things” come intobeing.But our interest is in exploring the “mechanics” underlyingthe process – the essential workings by whichHeaven and Earth work to affect and maintain the balanceof Yin and Yang and to nurture and perpetuate life onplanet Earth. To this end, we must understand the roleof the Four Elements.Due to their purity, Heaven and Earth are themselvesinert. They exert a “force” but are incapable of action.Heaven is Yang, Yang, Yang, and Earth is Yin, Yin, Yin,and that’s it. They are like the two poles of a magnet.Heaven and Earth Produce Fire AndWater Via Their UnionFire is Heaven’s agent – Fire is 2/3 Heaven and 1/3Earth. Water is Earth’s agent – Water is 2/3 Earth and1/3 Heaven. Their impurity endows them with theircharacteristic nature and dynamism. For this reasonFire and Water are able to move, adapt, and change. Fireand Water give the tai ji diagram “dynamism.” In a puremeta-physical sense, they are “alive.”Fire’s essential “role” is that of converting Yin (Earth– matter with substance, for example “wood”) intoYang – Heaven, the ethereal, “gas.” It does this throughthe act of “burning”, a process by which the Yin and theYang are “recycled”, Yang ascending to Heaven and Yinreturning to Earth.Water’s role is that of converting Heaven into Earth.This action can be seen in the growth of flora and fauna,which as they grow, amass Earth (elements) and reachtoward Heaven. The process of birth and growth (life aswe know it) depends on Water – specifically “precipitation.”Precipitation brings Yang essence from Heaven,inseminating life with Yang force.The Four Primordial Elements Describe TheWheel Of LifeHeaven and Earth RepresentThe Forces Of Yin And YangBecause of their inertness, they need the “agents” orTogether, the 4 Primordial elements describe thewheel of life, birth (germination), growth, maturation,and death. The cycle applies to flora and fauna alike, bothkingdoms having examples of annuals and perennials.Heaven and Earth manage the planet via their judicioususe of Fire and Water (where “rain” is the form) topromote life and maintain the balance of Yin and Yang,which in the greater scheme of things must remain equal.Because Fire and Water are the meta-physical embodimentsof Yin and Yang they must also ultimately exist22 Summer 2011

in equal measure.With the dawn of humankind’s ability to “makeFire”, Heaven and Earth lost their proprietorship overthe 4 elements, for many thousands of years humankindmaking Fire as we’ve seen fit. But, while we’ve madeFire, we don’t possess the ability to makes its complement,“Water”. While Fire and its fuel – Earth, ultimatelydepend on Water, for practical purposes Water is finite.Fire is not. Consequently, by making Fire humankind hascontributed to the gradual diminishment of Yin (Earth)and the excess of Yang (Heaven).Without Fire civilization as we know it would neverhave gotten off the ground, no metal, no machines, noelectricity – no civilization. Virtually every aspect of civilizedlife literally depends on “electrical energy”, mostof it coming from the “burning of Yin” in one form oranother, thus creating a global Yin deficiency and Yangexcess. This “burning” includes all burning from theflame of a candle to the coal fired power plant.It’s hard for us to comprehend the volume of Earththat has been burned over the millennia. It is estimatedthat in 2007 alone, 7 billion tons of coal were burned, andthis number is increasing rapidly. Annual oil consumption,currently estimated at 1000 barrels per second, hassimilarly mind boggling numbers which are also increasingrapidly.Heaven and Earth have the imperative and the powerto restore Yin by creating Water (rain), which only theycan do. They accomplish this by increasing the amountof Water carried by the clouds. They accomplish this byincreasing the area of the Earth’s surface that is coveredby Water, hence increasing evaporation.They accomplish this by taking Water out of reserve,i.e. glaciers and icecaps, thereby raising sea levelsand expanding the area of the planet covered by Water,increased evaporation resulting in increased water borneby the clouds and increased rainfall upon the land. Undernatural conditions, increased rainfall would result in increasedorganic growth which over time would restoreEarth’s Yin essence, coal, oil, etc., but man is clearing thisnew growth, again for purposes of profit.It is clear that fossil fuels contribute to global warmingbut what of nuclear power? The prevailing viewis that it does not contribute to CO2 production and istherefore without global warming risk. But, in the contextof Yin and Yang, the burning of uranium may be far moredetrimental than coal or oil relative to its contributionto Earth’s Yin deficiency – as uranium is the rarest andmost Yin of Earth’s elements and cannot be refreshedeven via Heaven and Earth’s restorative processes. Thisis because uranium is of cosmic origin and is not createdvia Earthly processes.The proliferation of nuclear power plants during thelatter half of the 20 th century may have something to dowith the steep rise in temperature (a Yang indication) overthe last 50 years as opposed to the last 100 – burning ofuranium may be many times more detrimental in termsof disrupting the balance of Yin and Yang.SummeryThis article offers a hypothesis that man’s “burning”of Earth is creating a global Yin deficiency, and as long asman continues to “burn Earth”, we can expect Heavenand Earth to counter our actions with increasing sealevels, and resultant “rainfall”. This suggests that unless“burning” ceases, sea levels will continue to rise and allof the planet’s ice will be brought to bear on the problem.In 2004, a team of scientists from the US GeologicalSurvey estimated that if all of Earth’s ice were to melt itwould raise sea level by 215 feet or about 65 meters abovetoday’s sea level. This would reduce the land surface areato a mere fraction of what it is today.If correct, mankind must ultimately develop and relyon non-burning forms of energy, which are presently limitedto harnessing the natural phenomena of Water, wind,and solar, Water and wind being in increasing supply asglobal warming continues.Is CO2 then not responsible for global warming? Yes,it is certainly a contributing “pathogen”, one that sciencecan detect and measure – but it may be folly to considerit the problem.Stephen Elliott is a long time student and teacher of Taoistarts. He is the author of Wuji Qi Gong And The Secret OfImmortality and The New Science Of Breath. He resides withhis family in north Texas. To find out more about Stephen,visit www.chiarts.net and www.coherence.comThe Empty Vessel 23

Photo by Solala Towlereating there he was very puzzled andasked Dana why we were interestedin eating such simple food!) The farewas simple yet very tasty.One of the nights on our stay inWudang was a full moon so we alltrouped up to the roof of our hoteland Richard let us on a lovely fullmoon meditation where we got toswallow "moon cream" while I playedmy "magical mystical medicine flute."The next day we went on a threehour hike to Nanyue Temple, anancient temple built into the side ofa mountain (see photo right). Theyhave a wonderful teahouse at the topwhere several of us sat drinking cupafter tiny cup of wonderful tea. (Onecalled Daoist tea is made up of wild green teaand wild ginseng and another that changed thetaste of plain water when drunk after three tinycups of tea!)The next day we went to see my old friend Jiayewho lives in a cave up behind one of the temples.He was happy to see us (basically he is happyto see anyone he is so friendly and kind). Whilewe were visiting with him a Chinese film crewcame by and shot some footage of us interactingwith the hermit. They were thrilled to see someWesterners there as not many know about this oldhermit they called Old Grandfather. They weremaking a documentary for Chinese televisionabout the masters in Wudang and were filmingin all four seasons, including winter, which canget very cold up there!Nanyue Templein Wudang (Photo by Jennifer Dorosz)Some of the wonderful food in China! (Photo by Sarah Braat)It was sometime in this day that I christened ourgroup The Cloud Wanderers, an old term for Daoists,who often traveled from one temple or mountain ormaster to another, in what is called "free and easywandering" in the Zhuangzi. In our free time variousmembers of our group would wander off all overthe mountain. (Once you get there you can take thepublic buses anywhere for free.)At one point we went to Happy Valley to see thewushu show there. It had to be the best one yet asthere were so many young people up there jumpingand leaping and brandishing all kinds of weaponsyet no one lost their head (or even an arm). At theend a guy in his eighties comes out and leaps aboutwith a large broadsword!Then we hiked down to Monkey Valley and sawmonkeys! (There is a funny sign there that says "Don'tstroke the macaques" as well as one down by thecreek that says "Don't catch the crabs."Wudang is just such a magical place for me.The Empty Vessel 25

Group practice (Photo by Solala Towler)Our qigong teacher in Wudang, JiangFei (Photo by Solala Towler)The group with our qigong teacher(Photo by Solala Towler)26 Summer 2011

Monkeys! (Photo by Solala Towler)mountain where we were to meet with Master Zhong athis school. That's when a very curious thing happened.We got caught in the dreaded "Chinese people do notrespect lines whatsoever."It is so interesting to me that as nice and polite andfriendly Chinese people are, when it comes to standingin line or getting on a bus or train in an orderly mannerit's every person for themselves! I have been elbowedin the ribs by elderly Chinese ladies and if you don'twatch your step you will get stepped on!We were standing here in the rain, covered in ourmismatched ponchos when a whole group of Chinesetourists, all decked out in identical purple ponchoscame up behind us. Then, once the bus arrived it wasevery purple poncho for themselves as they swarmedin front of us and we had to fight to get on the bus.Fortunately one of our members staked out a sectionHiking its many many trails and visiting ancienttemples where people have been cultivatingfor hundreds of years fills me with excitementand helps me to reestablish my own practice.Whenever a Daoist walks by with their topknotand ancient style of dress, there seems to be atangible power field around them, they are sogrounded and strong in their practice and intheir being!The weather gods were smiling on us for mostof the trip and we had wonderfully warm andsunny days. The day to go to the Golden Summitwas pretty foggy (no one could see a thing whenthey reached the top) but it was fun anyway.The last day we were there it was really rainingand we had to gather with all of our luggage bythe side of the road to catch the bus down theOur friend Jiaye, the Bee Daoist with hisbee friends (Photo by Solala Towler)Full moon meditation with RichardLieherer (Photo by Solala Towler)of the bus for us and another member, a verystrong massage therapist, grabbed everyone'sluggage and heaved it up into the bus so wecould get on!Once our bus made it to the bottom of themountains we walked to the Wudang SanFeng Academy to meet the grandmaster ofWudang mountains, Master Zhong we spent adelightful hour or so drinking tea and visiting.After we took the train to Wuhan again wespent the night in a hotel by the train station(where we had a memorable lunch the firsttime we took the train where they served usSzechuan french fries!) The next morning weflew to Beijing for the last few days of ourjourney.One of the high points of the trip came inBejing where I was able to end a three-yearThe Empty Vessel 27

Tea time in the Wudang Mountains (Photo by Jennifer Dorosz))My three-year quest finished at last! (Photo bySarah Braat)The Long Wall (Photo by Dahlia Gordon)quest for Moonlight Tea! My friend Wu Zhongxianhad told me about a special tea grown in thesouthlands of Yunan province by a tribal people calledthe Yi. They are still very connected to their shamanictraditions and they pick this tea according to theirshaman's instructions when the moon is in certainsigns. Then they dry it under the full moon so thatit draws in the yin energy of the moon. The result isa sort of light puer type of tea with many yin, relaxingqualities. He told me to go to the famous Tea Marketin Bejing but I had been told the last two years that theTea Market was only for wholesalers. This year though,when some of the group went to the "Long Wall" four ofus ventured to the tea market. It turned out to be a wholeneighborhood of tea shops! Fortunately Wu had given methe phone number and booth number of his friend whocarries the Moonlight Tea and I was able to find it and loand behold, I got the Moonlight Tea! (See photo above).Now that I am home I am enjoying drinking tis tea andtasting the flavor of China!And so another journey to the Middle Kingdom hasended and as usual, Dana Xu did a magnificent job hostingus. She is not just our tour guide but our China friend!While it is not required that everyone interested inDaoism and qigong travel to China it is always such a joyto travel to the areas where people have been cultivatingfor hundreds if not thousands of years! China has changedso much since I first started going there in 1993, much ofit for the better, (except of the unbelievable traffic in allthe cities) but it is still a very different culture indeed thatthe West.I am so grateful to all the wonderful people who tookthe time to welcome us to China and to the teachers whotook the time to share some of their knowledge with us.Now that I am home and have caught up on my sleep, I candrink my Moonlight Tea, lay my head back on my greentea pillow and remember the wonderful sights and soudnsof China as well as the taste of Szechuan french fries!To learn about future travels to China see our websiteat www.abodetao.com.28 Summer 2011

YOU ARE INVITED TOTHE EIGHTH ANNUAL TAOIST GATHERING:Dr. Alex Feng and Charlene Ossler of Zhi Dao Guan,The Taoist Center, in Oakland, CAinvite you to participate inthe Eighth Annual Taoist GatheringOctober 21-23, 2011at Samuel Merritt University Health Education Center, Oakland, CA –a weekend devoted to the study, practice, and Community of Taoism.Theme of "Immortality from a Daoist Perspective."Keynote by Dr. Hirsh Diamant:"Lao Zi’s 14 Characters – Reflections on Immortality."Panel Discussion on Immortality Practices by Practitioners, Scholars, TeachersFriday evening Taoist Class and Meditation followed bytwo days of provocative Taoist presentations, meditation, qi gong,and other forms of practice, ritual and exploration.$125 Early Bird registration for the full weekend –$100 if you mention this Empty Vessel Ad!(if registering via the web site simply enter “Empty Vessel” when you are asked for a coupon)$175 after September 15thInformation at www.thetaoistcenter.comor write/call Zhi Dao Guan at 3824 MacArthur Blvd.,Oakland CA 94619. 510-336-0129; info@thetaoistcenter.comAttendees praise this unique annual event:“ For A Taoist, this Gathering is like coming home!”“Energizing! Inspirational!” Join us as we continue this adventure in The Dao!)The Empty Vessel 29

The Master on the MountainA Conversation with Master Zhong YunlongCan you give us some advice on how to integrate Daoismwith a very busy, modernlifestyle?(Photo by Sarah Braat)On the last day of our sojourn in Wudang we metwith Master Zhong Yunlong at his school, the WudangSan Feng Academy, named after the famous Daoistmaster Zhang San Feng. Master Zhong took some timeout of his busy schedule to sit and have some tea withour group and answer questions. Master Zhong, knownas the Grandmaster of Wudang has been practicing theDaoist arts for many years and he exudes a warm anddeeply rooted presence.Thanks to our indefatigable guide and translatorDana Xu, we were able to ask many questions and receiveanswers that reflected his years of cultivation inthis magical realm of Daoist China.Master Zhong (Dana translating). Since you are here wecall it yin yuan. It’s like fate that has brought us together.So if you have questions please feel free to ask and hewill try to answer them.It’s also a big problem in China! Toalways be nervous is very bad foryour health. Daoist health practicesare very popular for peoplewho have neck problems as wellas neck and spine. So we have lotsof organizations to help people tocure those problems.It’s good to have a little sparetime each day to work on yourselfand to read some books on Daoismand allow your mind to becomecalmer.You can see a lot of people upon the mountain with long hair andthe Daoist clothing but many ofthem are not real Daoists. Some ofthem are interested in Daoism andBuddhism but they still have theirown common people’s life. Butthey respect Daoism. They don’tlive in temples but some of themstill live at home with their families. They spend timepracticing and reading about Daoism.Others live in the temple and have a master therethat they learn from. But still they are not real Daoists.They are called ju shi. Ju shi is a really popular termsince ancient times for great poets who were interestedin Buddhism and Daoism. (Editor’s note: These peoplewere often called the literati Daoists.)You must cultivate for along time to become a realDaoist. There are a lot of rules. They are very strict. Somany of the people on this mountain (Wudang) they arenot real Daoists.What do you consider to be a real Daoist?Daoism has a long history and during this long historythere were lots of generations and different masters. Tobe a real Daoist you must know all the history of yourgeneration or linage. That’s very important.Secondly, you must have a very good understandingabout Daoism and you must have long hair. You mustgrow it for at least three years!Why do they grow their hair long and what is the sig-30 Summer 2011

nificance of their topknot?First, to be natural. And topknot here is a double loop,representing taiji – yin and yang. It takes time for themto make that. It is not the usual one. This is a special waythey do here on Wudang. They call it taiji hair. He saysthat to become a student of Daoism you must begin fromyour head!Is there any significance to where the topknot is placedon the head?Yes, it is on the top of the head on the bai hui point,where yin and yang meet. This is a very important pointin TCM as well as in qigong and taiji.How does he feel about the rebirth of Daoism in modernChina?He said that Daoism does not develop well in Chinanow. There are very few people who really understandDaoism. Daoism is very different from Buddhism. Buddhismincorporates lots of themes to grow the religionbigger and bigger. But Daoism is different. They nevertell you to be a Daoist (proselytize). They never say that.They believe in letting things go a natural way.He says that in ancient times a real Daoist was anatural scientist. He must be very knowledgable aboutlots of things. And Daoism does not connect to politicsat all. Daoism influenced TCM a lot. They have a verydeep connection. TCM is very different from Westernmedicine. In Western medicine if you have a pain hereand it gets worse and worse then they will cut it. But(Photo by Sarah Braat)TCM will never use that way. They use acupuncture tohelp the person to recover.He also says that the computer, one of the mostpopular things these days, has the earliest knowledgefrom Daoism. (Editor’s note: I believe what he is referringto here is the binary system, originating with the Yijing(I Ching), which was used in the original computer codelanguage.)So Daoism is different from many other religions.Many other religions have been used as tools by the politicians.Daoism is really a natural science and its reachinto many subjects is very broad.The knowledge of Daoism is very deep and not everyonecan understand it. This is one of the reasons that,historically, Daoism has not developed very well. Butnow and in the future he and his friends will do a betterjob to develop Daoism.In the West we talk about two different kinds of Daoism.Dao Jia or what is sometimes called HuangLao orphilosophical Daoism and Dao Jio or religious Daoism.About Dao Jia, you know that jia means family right?Dao Jia means a people who have an idea about a kind ofreligion. This goes back to thousands of years ago. Manyof these people were connected with wu (shamanism).According to historical records, a thousand years agothere were these Dao Jia, which has a much longer historythan Dao Jio, which is the Daoist religion. The Daoistreligion was founded two thousand years ago by ZhangDao Ling (Tianshi or Heavenly Masters sect).There were lots of masters then that they called DaoThe Empty Vessel 31

Jia but they were not organized. From the time of theYellow Emperor (Huangdi) to the time of Laozi, all thesecan be called Dao Jia. Then from the time of Zhang DaoLing there has been the Daoist religion. One of the mostfamous writers in modern China once said that Chineseculture is rooted in Daoism.So now is a very special period. Today everythingis too modern, too scientific! Many people are gettingdepressed. Most children today are near sighted becausethey watch too much TV and computers. So in this specialperiod maybe Daoism can have a very good effect on lotsof health problems. So that is what the Daoists are goingto do to have more contribution to people’s health.There is nei dan and wei dan in Daoism. Wei dan is aboutexternal alchemy. That was very popular in the past butnow, because the country has so many professional organizationsto study that but there is less interest in that.Nei dan is the most important part of Daoism, to cultivateinside – things like qigong, tai ji. When you practicethose breath is very important.Do you have any advice for people who want to studynei dan in the West?Several of his students now live in America and they arenot only proficient in martial arts but in nei dan. Theyhave their own students there and some of them comehere to learn nei dan also.Do you feel that you need to have a teacher, instead ofa book or something like that to practice nei dan?Nei dan is a very complicated and even dangerous thing.So it’s better to have an experienced master. If you practicenei dan well it can not only be good for health butgood for your wisdom. But if you practice in the wrongway it’s very dangerous.What words of wisdom can you give us that we can takehome with us that will help us?Practice what you have learned here each day when yougo home. That will be very helpful. It’s not just a form,it includes a lot.I would like to ask how other practices, like painting,calligraphy and music fit into the whole Daoist lifestyle.Of course they do. They will help a lot. Of course, withChinese painting, it is not like Western painting. In thisstyle of painting you must put your qi, jing and shen intoit. Painting and calligraphy help to cultivate your heartand your qi a lot.He hopes everybody here can tell more people aboutDaoism when you go home so that Daoism can servemore and more people in the future. To serve everyday inthe world, that is Daoism. And he would like to welcomeyou back again!Master Zhong Yunlong is an orthodox Wudang Internal KungFu successor of two great Wudang Taoist masters and seniorpriests: Guo Gaoyi and Zhu Chengde.When Wudang Taoism first opened to the outside world,Master Zhong Yunlong was sent, from 1985 to 1987, by theWudang Taoist Association, to unearth Wudang martial artswhich were now only being practiced outside the temple.The Wudang Taoist Association established the first WudangTaoist Martial Arts Team and Master Zhong was the foremostmember of the team.In 1989, Master Zhong replaced the senior Taoist priest GuoGaoyi as the "Wudang Taoist Association Martial Arts ChiefCoach". At the same time, he was appointed as the principaland chief coach of the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu School by theWudang Taoist Association. This was the first time WudangKung Fu was formally shown in public.From 1995 to 2000, Master Zhong occupied an important roleas the Principal for both the Mount Wudang Zi Xiao Templeand the Taoist Academy.You can get more information on Master Zhong and his schoolat wudangsanfengacademy.org.The 5th Annual Internal Martial Arts Taiji Gala and Competitionin Wu Dang Mountain, Shi Yan City, Hubei ProvinceChina, also known as the birthplace of Taiji is being hostedby the Wu Dang Tourism Zone and the Wu Shu Bureau of WuDang. The gala is October 9-15, 2011.Internal Martial Arts practitioners and admirers will gatherfrom all over China and the world to pay their respects tothis ancient tradition. The city is celebrating Zhang Sanfeng'srole as the creator of Taiji and Wu Dang's historic role in thedevelopment of Taiji. The entire city is being decorated withbronze statues of SanfengTaiji masters, masters from other lineages, and representationsof each of the Sanfeng Taiji 13 movements. In addition to thecompetitions, there will be Taiji and Nourishing Life arts demonstrationsand workshops on topics such as Qigong, Taiji,Internal Martial Arts, Xing Yi, Ba Gua and Tai Yi forms. Folkart, music, ceremonies at the temples, and Kung Fu shows,with a special Kung Fu show by the Sanfeng Academy WuShu team will also be taking place during the event.This is a wonderful event for competitors, family, friends,and those with an interest in the healing arts or for thosethat would like to partake in this festive opportunity to visitWu Dang.The ancient Taoist Temple grounds and the city’s museum willbe open for those with an interest in the history and mysticalfoundations of this UNESCO World Heritage site.For more infomation on this event Please contact Kristina atzhong.miao1023@gmail.com.32 Summer 2011

The Lost Secret of Immortalitya conversation with Barclay PowersThe Lost Secret of Immortality is an award-winningfilm (Best Spiritual Documentary at the New York InternationalFilm Festival, 2011) and is based on the book ofthe same title.The film and book link together the Golden Embryoof Daoist alchemy, the Reality Body of Tantric Buddhism,the Philosopher’s Stone of the Western alchemical tradition,the Rainbow Body of Tibet and the Kundalini traditionof India. The film predicts that the future of sciencewill be focused on these secrets of enlightenment.We sat down with the author/filmmaker BarclayPowers recently to ask him a few questions about hisproject.What is the goal for you with this multi-mediaproject (which includes a book, a film, a graphic noveland soundtrack album)?This project is intended to make the alchemical secretof enlightenment available to a world-wide audience. Ifeel that once modern science understands the physiologicalbasis of inner illumination, the modern conceptof human potential will radically expand. This paradigmshift represents the ultimate evolution of consciousnessand completely restructures Darwinian theory, whichunfortunately, does not include enlightenment.I think that the most important idea here is that thereis a divine spark of super-consciousness at the physicalcore of all human beings.It looks to me like you have woven together manystrands of mysticism from many different cultures,all pointing towards the same goal. How did you getinterested in such a project?I have studied the concepts underlying Chinese inneralchemy for many years and have found that it transmitsa fundamental, perennial spiritual science that was alsothe original goal of Western science when it was called thePhilosopher’s Stone, in the Hermetic tradition. Similarly,very few scholars have made the connection betweenthe Reality Body of Buddhism and the Golden Flowerof Daoist neidan practice. The book and film is the firstattempt to explain the secret of inner illumination as across-cultural paradigm shift.Of all spiritual/alchemical traditions Daoism has aclear, scientific methodology that has been successfullyproven for thousands of years. I feel the concept of thethree treasures (jing, qi, shen) is actually the lost secret ofimmortality.It was also very exciting to work with The Empty Vesseland film the masters in the Wudang mountains andQinchengshan for the movie.Your film reminded me a bit of What the Bleep, inthat it uses various kinds of animation to present certainconcepts like the Golden Embryo, the Rainbow Bodyand Emanation Bodies in a way that the viewer can geta visual sense of them. I think this is the first time thatthe neidan practices of Daoism have been presentedso that people can visually understand the concept ofthings like embryonic enlightenment.Thank you, we worked for years to refine the animationsequences so that they worked for a Western audience.In addition to the film, we also have a book and agraphic novel that is being turned into a music video toaccompany the new soundtrack album which is in postproductionright now.The idea with the graphic novel and the new musicvideo is to reach the 18-25 year old audience, who hasnever been exposed to a clear explanation of the completeevolution of consciousness – the goal of being human.We intend to have musical events which will includea screening of the film at multiple locations world-wideto enable as many people as possible to experience a filmthat points them toward the ultimate inner truth andchallenges both the scientific and religious establishmentsof our time.Many people have studied taiji, qigong, yoga andmeditation without understanding that the alchemicalfiring process is the key to real inner illumination andultimate self-discovery.I found the material on the Rainbow Body or whatin Daoism is called “the dissolution of the corpse” veryinteresting and not something you see very often.Yes, I find it fascinating that in many of these traditionsthe physical body is described as “frozen light,”which has the potential to dissolve into its essence – pureenergy – at the highest level of spiritual cultivation.How will people get a chance to see this film?The film is playing globally and will be opened inselected cities on an ongoing basis. For more informationplease visit our website at www.lostsecretofimmortality.com.The Empty Vessel 33

Tao Is the Source of All UniversesDr. & Master Zhi Gang ShaTao is the source of all universes. Tao creates One.In fact, Tao is One and One is Tao. One creates Two. Twois Heaven and Earth, yang and yin. Heaven and Earthinteract to produce all souls and all things in all universes,but they all come from Tao.To study and practice Tao is advanced soul study andpractice. It is most important to understand that everythinghas a Tao. I explained above the Tao of eating, theTao of sleeping, and the Tao of soul healing. In fact, thereis a Tao for every aspect of your life. For example, businesshas a Tao. A relationship has a Tao. To realize the Tao inany aspect of life is to follow the spiritual principles andlaws to ensure your success in that part of life.Take healing as another example. How can all of aperson’s sicknesses in the physical, emotional, mental,and spiritual bodies be healed? What is the Tao of healing?To heal all sicknesses in these four bodies, the Taoof healing can be summarized in one sentence:The Tao to heal all sickness is Shen Qi Jing He YiShen represents all souls in the whole body, includingthe souls of systems, organs, and cells. Qi representsall energies in the whole body, including the energies ofsystems, organs, and cells. Jing represents all matter inthe whole body, including the matter of systems, organs,and cells. A person’s physical, emotional, mental, andspiritual bodies are made of soul, energy, and matter.Any kind of sickness is due to an imbalance in and theseparation of Shen Qi Jing. To join Shen Qi Jing as one isto balance the whole body. To join Shen Qi Jing as one isto return to Tao.Remember the process of reverse creation of Tao thatI shared in chapter 1:all things....Three....Two...On....TAOreturn to34 Summer 2011

Shen Qi Jing He Yi (pronounced shun chee jinghuh yee) is to return to Tao. I am honored to share thishighest divine secret to heal and transform all life. Thishighest secret can be summarized in one sentence:To return to Tao is the solution for healing,rejuvenating, transforming, and enlighteningall life.How can one apply Shen Qi Jing He Yi to heal allsicknesses? This is the way to do it. Apply the FourPower Techniques that I shared in my book PowerHealing: The Four Keys to Energizing Your Body, Mind,& Spirit.Body Power. Sit up straight. Put the tip of yourtongue as close as you can to the roof of your mouthwithout touching it. Put one palm on your abdomen.Place your other palm over this hand.Soul Power. Say hello:Dear Divine, dear Tao, dear saints in Heaven. I amhonored to invoke you to request healing for (state yourhealing request silently or aloud).Mind Power. Visualize the Jin Dan (golden lightball) rotating counterclockwise in your Lower DanTian, a foundational energy center located in yourlower abdomen.A renowned ancient Chinese statement aboutspiritual healing is:Jin guang zhao ti, bai bing xiao chu“Jin” means golden. “Guang” means light. “Zhao”means shine. “Ti” means body. “Bai” means one hundred,which represents every or all. “Bing” means sickness.“Xiao chu” means to remove. Therefore, “Jin guangzhao ti, bai bing xiao chu” (pronounced jeen gwahngjow tee, bye bing shee-ow choo) means:Golden light shines; all sicknesses are removed.Visualizing a golden light ball rotating counterclockwisein your Lower Dan Tian is absolutely oneof the most important Tao healings for all sicknesses.Sound Power. Sing or chant:Shen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He YiShen Qi Jing He Yi . . .Sing or chant for three minutes now. Remember, Iexplain in the beginning of every book of the Soul PowerSeries that when I ask you to spend time to practice, donot skip the practice. Three to five minutes of practiceper time is vital for healing, rejuvenation,and life transformation. In fact, to heal chronic andlife-threatening conditions, you must practice at least twohours per day in total.My new teaching is that the fastest way to heal is tosing or chant all the time, either silently or aloud. Everymoment of singing or chanting is healing and transforming.The more you sing or chant, the faster you could heal.Shen Qi Jing He Yi is a mantra. This mantra is extremelypowerful, beyond words and comprehension.Practice more and more. A great healing result is waitingfor you.Mother Earth is in a transition period, with manynatural disasters, conflicts between nations and religions,communicable diseases and other sicknesses, wars, financialchallenges, and all kinds of problems for humanityand Mother Earth. How can we apply Tao to serve humanityand Mother Earth at this critical historic period?All problems in humanity, Mother Earth, and alluniverses are due to imbalance in and separation ofHeaven, Earth, and human beings. To help humanity,Mother Earth, and all universes rebalance and reunite,I will share an extremely powerful Tao practice. Thispractice is so powerful that we cannot use any words andthoughts to explain or comprehend it. This Tao practicecan be summarized in one sentence:Tian Di Ren He Yi“Tian” means Heaven. “Di” means Mother Earth.“Ren” means human being. “He yi” means join as one.Therefore, “Tian di ren he yi” (pronounced tyen dee wrenhuh yee) means Heaven, Earth, and human being join as one.This is one of the highest philosophies of Tao. Tian DiRen He Yi is Heaven, Earth, and human being returningto Tao. Remember that to return to Tao is the solution foreverything in your life, the lives of your loved ones, thelife of humanity, andthe lives of all souls. In one sentence:To return to Tao is the way of all life.From TAO I: THE WAY OF ALL LIFE by Dr. Zhi Gang Sha.Copyright ©2010 by Heaven’s Library Publication Corp.and Dr. Zhi Gang Sha. Reprinted by permission of AtriaBooks, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. NY.The Empty Vessel 35

Special Sale on Back IssuesMany of our back issues have already sold out. If you would like to orderback issues we still have a few sets of 39 issues available for $200, postageincluded! (U.S. postage only) For overseas orders please contact us atsolala@abodetao.com.Medical Qigong CertificationPrograms begin in January and February~ Designed for non-local students ~~ Multi-level certification programs ~~ Highest standards and limited class size ~~ Emphasis on theoretical and practical applications ~~Approved by Chinese Ministry of Health and Education ~~ Established in 1985 ~Dr. Bernard Shannon, DMQ (China)Internationally recognized doctor and teacher• Executive Director, International Institute of Medical Qigong• Chairman of the Board, National Qigong Association• Ordained Daoist Priest• Shifu (Master Instructor) of Baguazhang and TaijiquanPlease visit www.MedicalQigong.org or call 800-848-0649 for more information36 Summer 2011

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New from Solala TowlerChuang Tzu: The Inner ChaptersA new version of this ancient and timeless classic withcommentary. Profusely illustrated with photos fromChina, printed in black and silver on glossy paper.Through its many stories, odd little passages and discourseswe can find illumination on how to live in theworld as free and spiritually independent beings. Theprinciples of spontaneity, flexibility, not going againstthe natural flow of the Tao, grace under pressure, facingdeath fearlessly, and going beyond the obvious andcommonplace to find our own true nature, thereby transcendingthe world’s problems and vaulting us into the192 pages $22.95 + $5 p&sfrom Abode of the Eternal Tao1991 Garfield St. Eugene OR 97405800.574.5118/541.345.8843solala@abodetao.com38 Summer 2011

“Be Here Now”Perfecting the Practice of PresenceDaniel ReidA lament often heard from modern Western noviceson ancient Eastern spiritual paths soon after receivingtheir first introductions to the depth and complexity ofthe practices is, “Why is it all so complicated!” This isparticularly true of those who choose the highly disciplinedpractice paths designed to awaken awareness,such as the “Complete Reality” (chuan jen) branch ofChinese Taoism and the “Great Perfection” (dzogchen)path of Tibetan Buddhism.Years ago, at a retreat in India withmy first Tibetan teacher, the great Kagyupameditation master Kalu Rinpoche,someone asked the venerable lama whythe foundation practices he taught wereall so complicated. His reply crackledwith the swiftness and clarity of lightning:“Because the human mind is socomplicated, that’s why! It takes complexmethods to dismantle the complexdelusions the ego constructs to blind themind to the light of truth. Truth itself is assimple and clear as the morning sun. Infact,” he said, sweeping his hand aroundthe room, “the truth is right here in frontof you, right now, this very moment, butyou just don’t have the eyes to see it!”It’s true: the Tao of “Complete Reality”and the “Great Perfection” of theawareness which reflects it like a mirrorare utterly simple, self-evident, and everpresent,here and now. There is nothingto seek: all we need is the vision to see.It’s our human minds that are complexand tricky, not awareness and reality.Both Buddha and Lao-tze stated veryclearly that the disciplines they taughtwere designed to awaken the ignorantand enlighten the blind; those who knowthe truth and see how simple it is don’tneed the discipline of practice.Most of us, however, spend a lotof time and energy weaving elaborateveils of illusion around our minds, likesilkworms in their cocoons, to protectour delicate egos and desires from rupturingin the radiant light of awarenesswhich we keep locked deep inside our hearts. Despiteour barriers of doubt and fear, it’s always here withinus, each and every moment, a treasury of wisdom, love,and power waiting for us to claim it by awakening to itsluminous presence. Depending on how deep asleep weare in our dream worlds, the work of waking up can beeasy or difficult, fast or slow. Either way, the first step isto dodge the tricks our egos play to distract our attentionThe Empty Vessel 39

from practice and lull us back to sleep, and find a wayto steer our minds directly to the luminous clarity of ouroriginal awakened state.The entire corpus of complex practices taught inthe traditional schools of Taoist and Buddhist cultivationboils down to a single simple teaching that can besummarized in three words : “Be here now.” This is thekeystone that supports the entire foundation of all thepractices. This precept has become such a popular “NewAge” slogan that it’s usually dismissed as a trite cliché,but it nevertheless remains the essential link connectingall the major Eastern practice lineages, and it holds thekey that unlocks the gate to success in them all. Let’s takea closer look at this supreme yet simple teaching, wordby word, and see how itworks.“To Be or Not toBe…”That’s the basicquestion in the questfor enlightened awareness:to be aware or notto be aware. It’s also thechoice one makes whenchoosing to follow theTaoist and Dzogchenpaths of practice, whichare designed to awakenthe practicioner to a directexperience of beingpresent in the primordialstate of awareness. This is a state of being that canonly be experienced when you stop doing. That meanswithdrawing the energies of body, breath, and mindfrom their ordinary expressions of “doing” in activity,speech, and thought, and resting instead in the stillnessand silence of simply “being.” In Taoist tradition, thedeliberate withdrawal of energy from the active state ofdoing into the still state of being in order to experiencethe nature of awareness is called wu wei (“not doing”).In Buddhism, this basic meditation practice is knownas shamatha (“dwelling in tranquility”). Disdained inmodern life as a waste of time, “sitting still doing nothing,”which is the Chinese term for “meditation,” is infact an indispensable condition for all spiritual discovery.Meditation is your ticket for a front-row seat in the theaterof complete reality, where the curtain doesn’t rise untilyou sit still and be quiet.Life in the world today spurs us into a constantgallop of non-stop activity and traps our attention witha relentless onslaught of sensory distractions, allowingus little chance to slow down, stop moving, stop talking,stop thinking, and simply savor the essential flavor of beingalive, being aware, and being present in the moment.“Being” involves a totally different state of mind than“doing.” It’s a totally different expression of energy thatWhen you stop doingand just be, your energyremains at rest in itsoriginal potential state.reveals a completely different dimension of experience.Doing manifests our energy in a dynamic state of activity—action,speech, and thought—hooking our attentionin the temporal dimension of linear time and space. Doingalways has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and activityalways manifests in a finite field of space and time.When you stop doing and just be, your energy remainsat rest in its original potential state, permiting your attentionto experience the still depths of your mind in itsbasic state of awareness. Energy at rest abides in a stateof infinite potential, and stillness is the boundless crucibleof all creation. This is the immortal dimension of pureawareness, the primordial source from which all temporalform and activity arise and to which they all return, likewaves rising and falling onthe ocean. If the mind is likean ocean, then awareness islike the water: always calmand quiet deep down inside,but constantly rippling withwaves of activity on the surface.In order to experiencethe nature of the ocean’swater before it forms itselfinto waves, you must sinkdown below the surfaceand submerge yourself inits depths.All forms of doing—activity,speech, and thought—give rise to movement, andall movement creates theillusion of linear time, witha beginning, middle, and end. Not doing (wu wei) makestime collapse in the infinite stillness and radiant space ofbeing in primordial awareness, which has no beginning,middle, or end. When you stop moving, speaking, andthinking, time stops and awareness expands into infinity,dissolving all dualistic boundries between self andother, here and there, now and then. What you realize inthis still and silent state of awareness is that everythingarises from and returns to its original source—the empty,luminous, infinite potential energy of the primordial state.Here’s how Lao-tze expressed it in the Tao Teh Ching:Something formless yet completeThat existedbefore heaven and earth,Without sound, without substance,Dependenton nothing, unchangingAll pervading,unfailing. . .It’s true name I do not know :“Tao” isthe nickname I give it.The nickname the Buddha gave it is “Dharmadatu:”“the way things are.”“To be or not to be” is therefore the first choiceyou make when embarking on the path of cultivatingawareness. There is nothing particular to do to reach theprimordial state of enlightened awareness, because you’realready there before you start. However, it takes a lot ofpractice stop interfering with it and simply let it be. Youmust arrive at the realization that it’s already here within40 Summer 2011

you, right now, and learn to recognize its radiant light.This is the path as well as the goal of all the practicestaught by the masters of theTao and the Dharma - to bepresent in awareness.“Here , There, and Everywhere. . .”Taoists refer to body, breath, and mind as the “ThreeTreasures” of life. Buddhists call them the “Three Gates”of energy. Keeping these three vehicles of our life forceworking together in harmony, rooted in the same groundof being and doing, is an essential point of attention on thepath of awareness. This seems simple enough in principle,but in practice it’s not so easy because the human mindis like a monkey: it hops here, there, and everywhere,leaving body and breath elsewhere. Training the mentalmonkey to sit still and pay attention to where your bodyis here and now, is a primary task of practice that takestime and patience.Body and breath are always right here, firmly rootedlike flagpoles at your present location. Where else couldthey possibly be? It’s the mind that’salways drifting away to another placeand time, floating to and fro like a leafin the wind. Left unattended, the mentalmonkey is always hopping aroundout “there,” leaving body and breathstranded like a car without a driver inthe traffic of life. As the monkey wandersoff to worry about the future, rompthrough the past, chase fantasies, chatwith phantoms, and meander throughmental mazes far removed from thepresent locus of body and breath, it takesalong a big supply of your vital energy,burning it frivolously in the bonfires ofrandom thought and robbing your bodyof its essential fuel of life. The breathgrows shallow and irregular, the bodyloses balance, and vital functions stagnate,while the mind fritters away theenergy upon which the whole systemdepends.The solution to this problem is tofocus the spotlight of attention on yourbreath, and to shift your breathing fromautonomic to voluntary control. Sincebreath and body are inseparably linked,conscious breathing keeps the mindfirmly grounded in the body, here andnow. All you need to do to make thistransition is summon the intent to steeryour attention away from the monkey’smadcap maneuvers and lock it onto theperpetual flow of breath in and out ofthe body, and to feel the body’s rhythmicresponse to the movement of the breath.Follow the breath in, follow the breathout; feel your belly rise, feel your bellyfall. Your breath and your belly are completely real, andthey are both always right here at home in your body.You may therefore use the breath and the belly as buoysto keep your mind anchored in reality, rather than lettingit wander away with the monkey. That’s why consciousabdominal breathing is such an important foundationpractice in both Taoist and Buddhist systems of cultivatingawareness.All this may sound, as they like to say in Australia,“too easy, mate!” And in fact it is easy, once you get thehang of it, but like everything else in life that’s worthdoing well, it takes practice to get it right. Verily it issaid, “practice makes perfect,” but the practice does notalways need to be so complicated. It can be as easy yetprofoundly effective as breathing, if you pay attention tothe way you’re doing it. The Great Perfection of enlightenedawareness is only a breath away, but to realize thatyou must pay attention to your breathing and not get distractedby the monkey’s mental marvels. The Taoist adeptLiu I-ming clarifies this point in Awakening to the Tao:The Empty Vessel 41

The Tao is simple and convenient. There is no needto seek afar, for it is right here at home … It is utterlysimple, utterly easy, there is no difficulty involved … Theridiculous thing is that foolish people seek mysteriousmarvels, when they do not know enough to preserve themysterious marvel that is actually present … So manyTaoists seek at random, all the while casting aside thetreasure at hand.“It’s Now or Never…”The “treasure at hand,” described by Taoists as the“precious pearl” and by Buddhists as the “wish-fullfillinggem,” is the luminous, infinite potential energy of fullyawakened awareness. This jewel is always shining righthere within our own mind and body from the day weare born until the day we die.It’s not something we mustseek elsewhere. “What is ofreal value is in ourselves,”writes Namkhai Norbu in TheMirror, “in our own originalstate: this is our wealth.” Thisoriginal state of awareness isknown in Buddhism as bodhicitta(“awakened mind”)and in Taoism as wu-dao(“realization of truth”), andit’s our most precious possessionin life, an infinite sourceof wisdom, compassion, andpower waiting for us to reclaimit. However, because welook for truth in “mysteriousmarvels” outside ourselves,rather than turning to theinfallible source within, andbecause we habitually mistakematerial possessions for wealth and force for power, mostof us go through life without ever discovering the realtreasure of truth, vision, and infinite potential which weall carry within us every moment.The moment itself is the ultimate marvel, and presencein the moment paves the way to mastery of all mysteries.What could be more marvelous than the infiniteenergy of creation that unfolds each moment in all themyriad forms of the universe, pulsing like a heartbeatfrom the twinkle of distant stars to the murmur of the sea,from the wind in the trees to the hum of the bees, from theradiance of a rainbow to the glow of a candle. The light ofpure awareness reflects all the manifold creations of universalenergy right here within our own minds, momentby moment, as clearly and unconditionally as a mirror.Since everything manifests from the same basic energy,every moment reveals the fundamental mechanism ofcreation and vibrates with the mysterious marvel of life.In order to become aware of all this , we must keep ourattention on the mirror of the moment and practice theMost people spendtheir entire livesroaming across thefrozen mindscapes of adead past and unknownfuture, completelyignoring the vibrantpresent.perfection of presence. Presence of mind in the immediatemoment permits us to experience the infinite marvelsof the eternal present. After we’ve learned to anchor ourminds here in our bodies by using breath as a buoy, wemust then free our minds from the trap of linear time byrealizing that it’s always “now,” and that the present momentis therefore timeless and eternal. A single momentof direct experience in the eternity of the present teachesus more about the true nature of time and reality than alifetime of study and thinking.Most people spend their entire lives roaming acrossthe frozen mindscapes of a dead past and unknownfuture, completely ignoring the vibrant present, exceptfor those rare moments when reality suddenly grabstheir attention with the proverbial Zen slap in the face.The fragmented segments of linear time as measuredby the tick-tock of the clockproduce the artificial mentalparadigm of a chronologicalpast and an imaginary futurethat stretch infinitely inopposite directions from thefleeting moment of a swiftlypassing present. Presencein the stillness of the eternalmoment produces theopposite effect—a directexperience of indivisiblewhole time in the seamlesseternity of now. This experienceawakens awareness ofthe timeless present as theonly reality, and shatters theillusion of past and futureprojected through the lensof linear time. What welearn from the practice ofpresence is that the only “real time” is now and that thepresent is the dimension of eternity.It’s always “now,” and the present is always herewhere we experience it, reflecting the whole universe inthe mirror of the eternal moment. The only reason mostpeople are blind to the vision of complete reality whichevery moment reflects is because they rivet their attentionon the express train of thought that’s constantly runningthrough their heads, rather than dwelling tranquilly inthe stillness of the timeless present. Someone once wrote,“Time is space thinking.” Since the mind is essentiallyempty, like space, it follows that “time is mind thinking,”which is the mental form of “doing.” When mindstops thinking, i.e. “doing,” and dwells instead in thestillness of “not doing” (wu wei), time stops, and mindexperiences the timeless state of presence in the eternalmoment, i.e. of “being here now.” Stillness doesn’t do,it just is. Stillness is therefore the master of presence: itteaches you how to “be here now” and experience CompleteReality in the Great Perfection of awareness in the42 Summer 2011

eternal moment. In Carlos Casteneda’s books, Don Juanteaches Carlos essentially the same lesson when he saysthat we can “stop the world” and experience the pulseof eternity simply by stopping the “internal dialogue”in our heads.We are always in the present moment, here and now,and it provides the only view of the world that’s notimaginary. The past and future are mental constructs,but the present is the living ground of awareness and thecradle of creation. In “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior”,Dan Millman states that the most profound lesson histeacher ever taught him was contained in the declaration,“There are no ordinary moments.” Every momentis extraordinary because it always reflects a complete andperfect picture of the whole universe, like a flawless gemof awareness. However, in order to perceive reality withthe flawless vision of the moment, we must perfect thepratice of presence.As we begin to awaken to the infinite potentialof presence in the eternal moment, we also begin torealize that the primordial awareness through whichwe experience presence is as immortalas the moment---that our awareness issomething that “is not born and does notdie.” We realize that the infinite luminousenergy of awareness is the very sourceof the world which we perceive throughour senses, and that we are always theauthors of our own lives, free to set thestage and write the script as we wish.That’s why Tibetan teachers describe the“Clear Light” of primordial awareness asa “wish-fulfilling gem.”The Dzogchen master NamkhaiNorbu refers to the experience of undistractedawareness in the moment as “instantpresence.” When you practice instantpresence, you experience the waves ofthe world rising and falling in the infiniteocean of awareness, and you realize thatthe world you perceive is never separatefrom the awareness which perceives it,just as the images reflected in a mirrorare inseparable from the mirror whichreflects them, and the waves rippling androaring on the surface of the ocean areinseparable from the still and silent waterin the depths from which they arise. Theworld we experience is a product of ourawareness, not a separate reality. It’s veryimportant to recognize the distinction betweenthe reflections and the mirror, andto realize that the waves on the ocean arejust a fleeting form of the water below, forone is impermanent and inconstant whilethe other is immutable and immortal. Inorder to enjoy the ephemeral play of life’senergies, we must avoid attachment totheir passing forms and not mistake the servant for themaster, for it is not the impermanence of things in lifethat causes us sorrow, but rather our attachment to impermanentthings. Instant presence makes this distinctionclear, for it teaches us to value the treasure that we cannever lose—the luminous pearl of primordial awareness.Taoist and Dzogchen teachings place such strongemphasis on being aware of our real condition, as it is hereand now in the present moment, because this is wherewe’ve always been and always will be—in the very centerof our experience of the universe, which unfolds like aflower from the luminous heart of our awareness. Ourexperience of the world is always complete and perfectjust as it is at the moment. In real time , there is no pastor future, only the eternal present, and as soon as we stopthinking, the timeless perfection of the moment blossoms.When we rest our minds tranquilly in stillness (shamatha),the moment is all there is. In an interview in theWinter 2003/04 issue of Dragon Mouth, Liu Ming notesthis point as follows: “Rather than offering transcendence,the teaching introduces us to where we actually are. . . theThe Empty Vessel 43

place we really are is the place we’ll be forever. There’snothing missing in the experience we’re in.”It’s also important to realize that the Great Perfectionof awareness in the present moment can only transformour lives and liberate our minds from illusion if we learnto apply it in the active “doings” of daily life as well asin the still “non-doing” of meditation. Otherwise it’s justa formal exercise that ends with each meditation sessionand has no practical value in daily life. Even when thebody is busy doing something, the mind should experiencethe activity with the instant presence of awakenedawareness. The whole point of cultivating awarenessin the non-doing stillness of meditation is to bring theawakened state of presence into the doings of daily activity.“In order to realize the inseparability of meditationand daily activities,” states Dzogchen master NamkhaiNorbu, “we must apply thepractice twenty-four hoursa day.”This means, for example,practicing instantpresence while frying afish, pouring a cup of tea,driving a car, or embracinga partner in sexual union.To do this, you must keepyour attention fully focusedon the nature of the activityyour body is doing in thepresent moment and beaware of how your energyis manifesting in that activity,here and now, on thespot. Feel the sizzle of thefrying fish in the handle ofthe pan; observe the hydrodynamicsof the tea pouringfrom the pot; be alert to themanifold mechanics of operating the car; experience theenergy of your partner in sexual embrace rising like atide on the sea.While meditation allows us to experience our energyin its still state, the activity of daily life lets us experiencethe way our energy manifests in movement. Both aspectsare equally real and equally important, and instantpresence is the key to experiencing the nature of both asthey manifest in the perfection of the moment. “A truepracticioner,” writes Namkhai Norbu in The Mirror, “canappear to drink and laugh like others in a pub, but we canbe sure that, without assuming the meditation posture,he is continuing in his state of presence.”Both Taoist and Dzogchen teaching include specificmethods that help the practicioner learn how to maintainthe state of instant presence in the midst of ordinaryactivity. Often refered to as “moving meditation,” thesepractices are designed to integrate inner stillness of mindwith outer movement of body, and to unify the states of“being” and “doing,” awareness and action. In TaoistIn Western religions,people generallydisdain their bodiesas obstacles tosalvation and viewthe world we live in asa sink of sin andcorruptiontradition, various forms of chi-gung such as EightBrocades, Tai Chi, and Pa Kua are practiced to harmonizebody, breath, and mind in smooth rhythmicmovements of the body synchronized with the naturalflow of the breath, all balanced by presence in a meditativestate of mind. Chi-gung develops the ability toengage naturally in the external activities of daily lifewhile remaining in a calm state of awareness inside.In Dzogchen, yantra yoga is practiced as a form of“moving meditation” to bring body and mind into abalanced state of awareness that fuses inner stillnesswith outer movement. Chi-gung and yantra yoga trainpracticioners to integrate stillness with movement, andto experience the mind’s essential emptiness as well asits intrinsic energy, without getting distracted by either.Moving meditation should be applied to ordinaryactivities “until,” as NamkhaiNorbu notes, “there is no longerany distinction betweenmeditation and life.”“The PreciousHuman Existence”In Western religions, peoplegenerally disdain theirbodies as obstacles to salvationand view the world we live inas a sink of sin and corruption,far removed from a futureparadise to which they hopeto gain entry after death bybehaving in a way prescribedby clerics during life. This viewrejects our own experience oflife in this world as a validsource of truth and insteaddemands faith in unprovendogma in exchange for a dubiouspromise of eternal bliss inan uncharted heaven that canonly be reached in death. This is not a good bargainand a highly risky investment of our faith.Better by far to work with the resources life hasgiven us, here and now. Never dismiss your body asa viable vehicle for reaching the goal of enlightenedawareness, for without it you don’t stand a chanceof success. Your body is the only anchor that keepsyour mind grounded in reality and lets you to learnthe lessons life has to teach you. By paying close attentionto your body and its experience of the world,you prevent your mind from wandering off into falserealms of fantasy and dissipating your energy in illusorydistractions. Always utilize your breath as abridge to keep your mind and body linked togetherin the present moment by breathing consciously at alltimes, not just while practicing meditation, chi-gungor yoga. Breath is the most effective tool we havefor keeping our minds aware of what our bodies aredoing in the present moment, and for synchronizingthe microcosmic pulse of our personal energy with44 Summer 2011

the macrocosmic pulse of universal energy. By usingbreath as a metronome, we can harmonize body,breath, and mind in an integrated state of awarenessthat allows us to experience the real time of the eternalpresent rather than the artificial time of past andpresent conjured by linear thinking.The “bottom line” is this : if we wish to attainthe Great Perfection of enlightened awareness andunderstand the Tao of Complete Reality, we must doit here and now, in this body, in this life, while westill have the “precious pearl” of primordial light toilluminate our way. Wemust always rememberthat the Clear Light ofimmortal awareness residesonly in the heartsof living beings, andthat at death the spiritualLight in our heartsreturns to its originalsource in the primordialheart of the universe.The Light does not illuminatethe dark nightof death, so unless wemerge our minds withthe immortal Lightin life, while we stillhave the chance, wewill die with mindsstill clouded in illusionand wander aimlesslythrough the dark corridorsof the illusory astral realms. Known in TibetanBuddhsim as the bardo (“in-between state”) and inChinese Taoism as chung-yin (“middle shade”), theseastral realms include all of the heavens, hells, and“other worlds” ever imagined by the human mind,and after death they trap the unenlightened mindsof those who invested belief in their falsehood duringlife. The only way out of these shadowy realmsof delusion is to get another chance at winning theprize of immortal awareness by getting another lifeand another body with a heart of Light to serve asa vehicle for practice. Tibetan teachers compare thechance of gaining another human body to the chancethat a blind turtle swimming aimlessly in the bottomof the ocean will rise to the surface and stick its headthrough a ring tossed randomly into the water. Thosearen’t very good odds, which is why Tibetan mastersalways refer to this life we have here and now as the“precious human existence:” because it offers us theprecious opportunity to receive the teachings andgives us the vehicle of a human body to practice themethods which can lead us directly to the radianttreasure of enlightenment and the “precious pearl”of immortality.The Great Perfection of awakened awareness isNever dismiss yourbody as a viable vehiclefor reaching the goal ofenlightened awareness,for without it you don’tstand a chance ofsuccess.not attained by rejecting, transforming, or transcendingthe human condition. It can only be discovered throughdirect experience of the world as it is, here and now. Whenyou practice instant presence in all aspects of your life,each and every moment has the extraordinary potentialto reflect the whole truth of reality in the mirror of yourmind and awaken you to the Great Perfection of yourown enlightened awareness. There is nothing to reject,nothing to transform, nothing to transcend, and nothingparticular to do, because the Clear Light of awareness isalways shining here and now in your own heart. All youneed to realize it is presence.In closing, I would liketo quote the last line of myfavorite Tibetan prayer. It’sa call to all one’s teachers toask for their blessings on thepath of practice, and it neatlysummarizes the essence ofeverything written above:“Grant us your blessingsthat we may attain thesupreme accomplishment ofbeing awarein the Clear Lightof Great Perfection,right now,immediately, here in this veryplace!”Daniel Reid was born in 1948,in San Francisco, and spent hischildhood in East Africa. Aftercompleting a Bachelor of Artsdegree in East Asian Studies at the University of California,Berkeley in 1970, and a Masters of Arts degree in ChineseLanguage and Civilization at the Monterey Institute of InternationalStudies in 1973, Reid moved to Taiwan, where hespent 16 years studying and writing about various aspects oftraditional Chinese culture, focusing particulaly on Chinesemedicine and ancient Taoist health and longevity systems. In1989, he relocated to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he continuedhis research and writing until 1999, when he immigratedwith his wife Snow to the Byron Bay region of Australia,where he now makes his home. Dan and Snow have plans toestablish a High Mountain Oolung Tea plantation in northernNew South Wales.His published books include The Tao of Health,Sex, and Longevity, Complete Book of Chinese Health &Healing (Guarding the Three Treasures in British edition),Handbook of Chinese Healing Herbs, Complete Guide to ChiGung, and Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine.His health latest title is The Tao of Detox: The Natural Wayto Purify Your Body for Health & Longevity, and his mostrecent publication is My Journey in Mystic China: Old Pu’sTravel Diary” (Inner Traditions, USA), his translation of thewriter John Blofeld’s memoirs of China from 1930-48, whichBlofeld wrote entirely in Chinese at the end of his life.More information on Daniel's work is available onhis website: www.danreid.orgThe Empty Vessel 45

The Essential Qigong Training CourseA Complete Home Study Courseon DVD and Audio CDThis Essential Qigong Training Courseincludes• The fundamentals of qigong: organ systems,the five elements, and the body’s energy meridians.• Qigong techniques to cleanse the body of impurities,pathogens, and toxins.• Exercises for gathering qi to create a reservoirof healing vitality in the body—and how to directit to heal yourself or others.• Visualizations for finding harmony and peacewith the universe.• The 12 key benefits of qigong, from improvedhealth and well-being, to increased energy andsexual vitality, to heightened intuition and creativity.• Qigong history, including a timeline detailingits earliest writings in 500 BCE through its evolutionto the present day.• A complete training course in qigong as it wasmeant to be taught—step by step by an expert ina 100-day format.Ken Cohen is a renowned Chinascholar and qigong master. Authorof the internationally acclaimedbook The Way of Qigong: The Artand Science of Chinese EnergyHealing and more than 200 journalarticles, he recently won the leadinginternational award in Complementaryand Alternative Medicine.Included is• 59-page study guide with detailed instructions to guide youthrough our training each day• All-new material integrated with meditations and exercises fromthe Ken Cohen classics Qi Healing, Qigong, and The Practice ofQigong• Five audio CDs covering every phase of qigong theory and practice,including 25 rare meditation exercises.• Three DVDs of essential teachings and hands-on exercises, includinga complete 90-minute programmable workout.$99 plus $10 shipping and handlingfrom The Abode of the Eternal Dao1991 Garfied St Eugene, OR 97405541-345-885446 Summer 2011

Chinese Medical Qigong Therapyby Jerry Alan JohnsonVolume 1 - Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy - Energetic Anatomyand PhysiologyThis first textbook (644 pages) includes a thorough understanding of the creationand development of the body’s energetic fields, ancient metaphysicaltheories of tissue formation, and the evolution of ancient Chinese energeticmedicine.Volume 2 - Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy - Energetic Alchemy;Dao Yin Therapy and Qi DeviationsThis second textbook (616 pages) includes a thorough understanding ofancient Chinese esoteric alchemy, metaphysical theories of projecting theSoul, Spirit, and Qi, Daoist Sorcery, Psychic Attacks, and Demonic or SpiritOppression/Possession, as well as the practical Medical Qigong applicationsused to treat such conditions.Volume 3 - Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy - Differential Diagnosis;Clinical Foundations; Treatment Principles and ClinicalProtocolsThis third textbook (580 pages) includes a thorough understanding of theancient metaphysical theories of Chinese energetic medicine, includingQi diagnosis, Materializing and Dematerializing Energy, Discovering and Removing Energetic Cords, Long Distance Scanning(Moving Clairvoyance), Breath Incantations (Mantras) and Medical Talismans, Hand Seals (Mudras), the ancient Daoist use ofthe Magic Mirror, Advanced Energy Cultivation and Qi Emission Techniques, Vibrating Palm Cultivation Techniques, and otherpractical clinical applications of energetic medicine.Volume 4 - Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy - Prescription Exercises and Meditations; Treatment of InternalDiseases; Pediatrics; Geriatrics; Gynecology; Neurology and Energetic PsychologyThis fourth textbook (592 pages) includes a thorough understanding of ancient Daoist and Buddhist energetic exercises, secretmeditations, advanced energetic theories, the treatment of Stroke, Paralysis, M.S., Parkinson’s Disease, as well as other relatedmedical fields of study practical applications of Chinese energetic medicine.Volume 5 - Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy - An Energetic Approach to OncologyThis fifth textbook (570 pages) includes a thorough understanding of the Medical Qigong treatment protocols and prescriptionhomework used successfully in both China and the U.S. for the treatment of various types of cancer. Written by an internationallyrecognized Grandmaster and Professor of Medical Qigong training who specializes in cancer treatment.Price $65.00 per volume plus $10 shipping and handling (overseas double postage)Volumes 1-5 - The Entire Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy Book Series Price $325.00 plus $40 shippingand handling. (overseas double postage)Send check or money order to: Abode of the Eternal Dao1991 Garfield St Eugene, OR 97405or call: 800-574-5118/541-345-8854.The Empty Vessel 47

ReviewsTai JiBeginner's Tai Ji Bookby Chungliang Al HuangSinging DragonSoftcover, 80 pages, $18.95Originally published in1989, our friends at SingingDragon have brought outa new edition of this finebook.This a quite wonderfuland magical book, filled withthe gorgeous photography ofSi Chi Ko. In it Chungliang,one of the first taiji teachers tocome from China to the West, writes not only about the externalmovements of taiji but of the spirit as well. In lines like the followinghe takes us on a journey into the magical realm of taiji.Do not forget that the only Tai Ji tools is the human body, alreadyperfectly attuned to move in the Tai Ji way. We must learn not tointerfere with its organic functioning, but instead, to trust it. Practiceeach time like it was the first time. Let your practice be like the sunrising anew each morning.Quantum SoupFortune Cookies in Crisisby Chungliang Al HuangSinging DragonOversieze softcover,New and enlargededition160 pages, $24.95Another favoriteof mine, this is aentertaining andenlightening rompthrough Daoist andZen culture, filledwith stories, jokes,aphorisms and manywonderful examples ofChungliang's dancingcalligraphy. It is thekind of book that youinto at any point andget new insights and new ways of looking at the world.One of my favorites says "The benefit and wisdom oflaughter is now crystal clear. And why do so many of us insiston cheerless sobriety? Our third eye is shut tight or turnedinward with a frown. Turn the eye around and take a goodlook at some of our cosmic jokes. Take the s out of cosmic andenjoy what's left."Simple yet deep wisdom from a heart-felt teacher ofjoy in movement.The Chinese Bookof Animal Powersby Chungliang Al HuangSinging DragonHardcover, 32 pages$18.95"A great way tolearn about the animalpowers is to drawthe animals and theirsymbols—and the bestway to draw them is todance them." So saysthe author, who has done an admirable job drawing eachanimal in a Chinese brushwork style. Also included is an explanationand description of each animal and how they mightmanifest in your life. This is the kind of book that works verywell for children as well as adults, the pictures do such a goodjob embodying the power of each animal.The Lost Secret of Immortalityby Barclay PowersGolden Elixir ProductionsSoftcover, 206 pages $16.95An interesting book, which is acompanion piece to the movie of thesame name, this book takes a lookat the immortality or enlightenmentpractices in Western alchemy (ThePhilosopher's Stone), Tantric Tibetan(Six Yogas of Naropa, Three Bodiesor Trikaya), Hinduism (Kundalini)and Daoist neidan practices (ThreeTreasures and the Golden Embryo).There are also sections on shamanism, quantum physics andChinese sexual yoga.The book starts out with some historical references tothe Tibetan practice of The Rainbow Body, wherein, upondeath, the practitioner's physical body disintegrates rapidly,shrinking down to a very small size or leaving just a few wispsof hair and fingernails. This is similar to the Daoist idea of"corpse liberation."Equating the Philosopher's Stone, the Zen idea of SeeingYour Original Face (the one you had before you were born)and the Golden or Immortal Embryo this books is a greatresource guide for anyone interested in field of cross fertilizationof spiritual paths and practices.Indeed we do live in exciting and amazing times! Inancient times one had to go through strenuous and oftendangerous travels to study with different teachers. Today wehave so much information and inspiration at our fingertipswith the Internet and books like this one. The most importantthing, though, is to be able to really apply ourselves in bothlearning these practices and then using them in our on-goingspiritual cultivation practice.This book is a good guide to these ancient practices ofthe West and East which, including the eve- growing field ofquantum physics, we can transform ourselves and our world.48 Summer 2011

DirectoryOregon College of Oriental Medicine. Three yearacademic and clinical program. We offer classes in Orientalmedicine, acupuncture, and Chinese herbology.Master’s degree is accredited. Financial aid and Chinainternships are available. Preparatory to national certificationand state licensing examinations. (503) 253-3443for information, literature.Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage Residential facility.Qigong, sustainable gardening, meditation for selfcultivation. Chinese herbs, massage, Daoist healingtoharmonize chronic disorders. PO Box 9224, Moscow,Idaho 83843-1724. (208) 285-0123.Tidewater Tai Chi Center has been offering classesand workshops in tai chi, chi kung, meditation, selfcultivation practices and other Taoist arts in Norfolkand Virginia Beach since 1974. For information call757.533.9092. Send email to dondavis@verizon.net orvisit www.tidewatertaichi.com.Taoist Arts Center. Wu Style Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Meditation.Traditional Taoist arts offered in a friendly andcooperative environment. Classes, Workshops, PrivateInstruction. Director: Susan Rabinowitz, 342 East 9thStreet, NYC 10003. (212) 477-7055. www.taoist-arts.comThe Alaska College of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture& Massage Therapy. 2636 Spenard Rd., Anchorage,AK 99503. Offering course work in a full spectrumof Asian Studies including Taiji, Qigong, Meditation,Medical QiGong, Taoist Herbology, Massage Therapy,with advanced study in Thai Yoga Massage and TuiNa Acupressure Massage and a three year Mastersprogram of study in Acupuncture. We offer year roundfull or part-time schedules of study. We feature biannualSpring and Fall Health and Wellness Festivals whereparticipants can study cutting edge information withour expert staff and visiting masters from around theglobe. Traveling to Alaska? Check out our website andmake sure our classes and workshops are in your plans.www.touchoftao.com. (907) 279-0135White Cloud Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico offerslearning opportunities to people of all ages. Certificationprograms in Taoist Studies, Energy Medicine andChi Nei Tsang: External Qi Healing. Weekly Tai Chiand Qigong classes. Qigong Research and Retreats.Continuing Education for Massage, Nursing and Acupuncture.Ask about retreats. (505) 471-9330, www.whitecloudinstitute.com.Qigong Alliance International is a global Qigong andTai Chi organization with members from over 50 countries.We believe the practice of Qigong and Tai Chi enhanceshealth and well-being, and brings harmony andbalance to those who practice, and to our planet. Ourmission is to serve our global Qi community and peopleeverywhere by providing information and education onthe benefits of Qigong, Tai Chi and other subtle-energymodalities. We offer: free general membership and severallevels of professional and support memberships,teacher/school referrals, networking opportunities, andsponsor Qigong Tours to China & Tibet. Qigong AllianceInternational (800) 341-8895 www.QiCentral.orgQigong & Daoist Training Center offers certification inqigong and Daoist training and ordination as a priest:qigong, TCM, Daoist Cultivation practices, and DaoistZuowang Meditation. Michael Rinaldini, founder,American Dragon Gate Lineage, received authorizationto train/ordain others by Chinese Daoist Master WanSujian. Level 4 NQA Certified Qigong Teacher. www.dragongateqigong.com. 707 829-1855The Taoist Institute offers studies and services inChinese qigong, tai chi chuan, Daoist weddings,shamanic energy & Reiki healing. Director: Dr. CarlTotton. 10630 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, CA,91601 (818) 760-4219. www.taoistinstitute.com.Embrace The Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigongis located in Seattle, Washington. Embrace The Moonoffers classes in the full Chen Taijiquan & Luohan GongQigong curriculums to all ages and fitness levels as wellas offers extensive teacher training and advanced developmentprograms in these systems. Founder & ChiefInstructor Kimberly Ivy has 35 years of experience in theMartial Arts (Judo, Aikido, Taijiquan), Qigong & Yoga.She holds black belts in Judo & Aikido, and is ranked6th Duan Wei by the International Wu Shu Association.Ms. Ivy is a 20th Generation Disciple of GrandmasterChen Xiao Wang and among the senior internationalLuohan Gong students of Grandmaster Gaspar Garcia.More information on the school can be found at www.embracethemoon.com. Ms. Ivy is available for seminarson the topic of your choosing. Contact her to schedule atkim@embracethemoon.com or by calling (206) 789-0993.The Empty Vessel 49

Tools for Living the DaoBooksDaoismWorkbook for Spiritual Development of All Peopleby Hua Ching NiSummarizes thousands of years of traditional teachings and littleknownpractices for spiritual development. There are sections on ancientinvocations, postures for energy channeling, stories and sectionson emotional independence and a balanced life and Taoist spiritualpractices. A good primer for beginning Taoists.Softcover, 240 pages. $14.95The Complete Works of Lao Tzu by Hua-Ching NiLao Tzu's timeless wisdom provides a bridge the subtle spiritual truthand practical guidlines for harmonious and peaceful living. Mater Nihas included one of the only English translations of the Hua Hu Ching,a later work of Lao Tzu which has been lost to the general public fora thousand years.Softcover, 212 pages. $13.95The Taoist Inner View of the Universe by Hua-Ching NiThis presentation of Taoist metaphysics provides guidance for one's ownpersonal life transformation. It offers a glimpse of the inner world andimmortal realm known to achieved Taoists and makes it understandablefor students aspiring to a more complete life.Softcover, 218 pages. $16.95Tao, the Subtle Universal Law by Hua-Ching NiMost people are unaware that their thoughts and behavior evoke responsesfrom the invisible net of universal energy. The real meaning ofTaoist self-discipline is to harmonize with universal law. To lead a goodstable life is to be aware of the actual conjoining of the universal subtlelaw with every moment of our lives. This book presents the wisdomand practical methods that the ancient Chinese have sucessfully usedfor centuries to accomplish this.Softcover, 165 pages. $12.95The Esoteric Tao Teh Ching by Hua-Ching NiOffers instruction for studying the Tao Teh Ching and reveals thespiritual practices "hidden" in Lao Tzu's classic. These include in-depthtechniques for advanced spiritual benefit. This version gives the esotericmeaning of the Tao Teh Ching as revealed to the virtuous leader of theHan Dynasy, Emperor Wen by an unusual old man called "The OldGentleman on the River."Softcover, 192 pages. $13.95Mysticism: Empowering the Spirit Within by Hua-Ching Ni"Fourteen Details for Immortal Medicine" is a chapter on meditation forwomen and men. Four others are devoted to the study of 68 mysticaldiagrams, including the ones on Lao Tzu's tower.Softcover, 200 pages. $13.95Nurture Your Spirits by Hua-Ching NiSpirits are the foundation of our being. Hua-Ching Ni reveals the truthabout "spirits" based on his personal cultivation and experience sothat you can nurture your own spirits, which are the truthful internalfoundation of your life being.Softcover, 176 pages. $12.95The Tao of Philosophyby Alan WattsThis collection of essays compiled from lectures and seminars presentsthe words of Alan Watts, as he spoke them, on issues of great significanceHarmony: The Art of Lifeby Hua-Ching NiHarmony occurs when two different things find the point at which theycan link together, Hua-ching Ni shares valuable spiritual understandingand insight about the ability to bring harmony within one's own self,one's relationships and the world.Softcover, 208 pages, $16.95Moonlight in the Dark Nightby Hua-Ching NiThe difficulty for many people in developing their spirituality is notthat they are not moral or spiritual enough, but they are captive totheir emotions. This book contains wisdom on how to guide emotions.It also includes simple guidance on how to balance love relationshipsso your life may be smoother and happier and your spiritual growthmore effective.Softcover, 168 pages, $12.95The Mystical Universal Motherby Hua-Ching NiAn understanding of both masculine and feminine energies is crucialto understanding oneself, in particular for people moving to higherspiritual evolution. Hua-Ching Ni focuses upon the feminine throughthe examples of ancient and modern women.Softcover, 240 pages, $14.95Eternal Lightby Hua-Ching NiHua-Ching Ni presents the life and teachings of his father, GrandmasterNi, Yo San, who was a spiritually achieved person, healer and teacher,and a source of inspiration to Master Ni. Deeper teachings and insightsfor living a spiritual life and higher achievement.Softcover, 208 pages, $14.95Enlightenment: Mother of Spiritual Independenceby Hua-Ching NiThe inspiring story and teachings of Master Hui Neng, the father ofZen Buddhism and Sixth Patriarch of the Buddhist tradition, highlightthis volume. Hui Neng was a person of ordinary birth, intellectuallyunsophisticated, who achieved himself to become a spiritual leader.Softcover, 265 pages, $12.508,000 years of Wisdom, Volume I and IIby Hua-Ching NiThis two-volume set contains a wealth of practical, down-to-earthadvice given by Hua-Ching Ni over a five-year period. Drawing on histraining in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbology, and Acupuncture,Hua-Ching Ni gives candid answers to questions on many topics.Vol. I Includes dietary guidance, Softcover, 236 pages, $18.50Vol. II includes sex and pregnancy guidance, Softcover, 241 pages, $12.50Internal Growth Through Taoby Hua-Ching NiIn this volume, Hua-Ching Ni teaches about the more subtle, muchdeeper aspects of life. He also points to the confusion caused by somespiritual teachings and encourages students to cultivate internal growth.Softcover, 208 pages, $13.95Wandering on the Way: Early Talesand Parables of Chuang Tzu by Victor H. Mair NEWComplete with an authoritative introduction on Chuang Tzu and hisplace in Chinese thought and history as well as a glossary of key termsand concepts.Softcover, 402 pages, $1850 Summer 2011

in the spirit of Taoist thought. They reveal the author's appreciation forthe wisdom inherent in the course and current of nature.Hardcover, 96 pages. $16.95Tao Te Chingtranslated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane EnglishOne of our favorite translations of this timeless and sublime work!The text captures the true poetry of Lao Tzu's work and Jane English'swonderful nature photographs illustrate perfectly the philosophy ofthe sage. Oversize softcover, 174 pages. $18Chronicles of Taoby Deng Ming-DaoThis volume combines the trilogy of The Wandering Taoist, Seven BambooTablets of the Cloudy Satchel, and Gateway to A Vast World under onecover. A wonderful way to receive Taoist instruction through a storyform. This is the tale of Kwan Saihung's training from boyhood, in anancient Taoist temple high in the Huashan mountains, to adulthood inAmerica. Full of rich characters, Taoist practices and philosophy, andkung fu adventure!Softcover, 476 pages. $19365 Taoby Deng Ming-DaoThis volume of daily meditations is the perfect thing for bathroomreading or for daily reflection. Deng Ming-Dao's years of training inself-cultivation shine through in these short yet deeply felt passages.Softcover, 380 pages. $16Scholar Warriorby Deng Ming-DaoSubtitled An Introduction to the Tao in Everyday Life , this book containssections on medicine, chi gong, herbs, meditation, finding one'spurpose in life, diet, sexuality, death and transcendence. Softcover,351 pages. $23101 Lessons of Taoby Luke ChanA collection of lighthearted yet thought-provoking stories. Illustratedwith pen and ink drawings. A good way to experience the wisdom ofthe sages while being entertained by the ever interesting vagaries ofhuman existence.Softcover, 152 pages. $12.95Daoist Mystical Philosophyby Livia KohnA central text of medieval Daoist mysticism. Written by an unknownauthor, probably of the Northern Celestial Masters at Lougan, in thelate 15th century C.E. it closely resembles the Daode Jing in structureand contents. Edited and commented on several times until the twelfthcentury, the text played an important rôle in the Tang religious thought.With an excellent in-depth introduction by Livia Kohn, one of the leadingexperts on medieval Daoist thought and practice.Softcover, 285 pages. $24.95Women in Daoismby Catherine Despeux & Livia KohnOutlines the status and roles of women in the Daoist tradition from itsinception to the present day. It describes the historical development androle of Daoist women in Chinese society; focusing on the different idealswomen stood for as much as on the religious practices they cultivated.Softcover, 296 pages, $25Daoist Body Cultivationedited by Livia Kohna comprehensive volume by a dedicated group of scholars and practitionersthat coves the key preaches of medical healing, breathing, diets,exercises, sexual practices, Qigong and Tai quan. Ultimately aiming toenergetically transform the person into a spiritual and transcendent being,Daoist cultivation techniques have proven beneficial for health timeand again and can make in important contribution to the world today.Softcover, 243 pages, $24.95Chuang Tsu: Inner Chaptersby Gia-Fu Feng & Jane EnglishCompanion volume to their superb Tao Te Ching, once again thetranslation, calligraphy and nature photography combine to makean exhilarating presentation of the master of sublime ridiculousness.Softcover, 164 pages. $18Chuang Tzu: The Inner Chaptersby Solala TowlerA new rendition of the classic Taoist text. Solala Towler's brilliantcommentary and empathetic interpretation of these timeless talesdemonstrates the profound implications of this great work for themodern age.Oversize softcover, 170 pages, 22.95Cha Dao: The Way of Tea, Tea as a Way of Lifeby Solala TowlerThe art and practice of drinking tea is rooted in Daoism and emergedfrom a philosophy that honored a life of grace and gratitude, balanceand harmony, and fulfillment and enjoyment – what the ancient Chinesecalled Cha Dao, The Way of Tea. Cha Dao takes us on a fascinatingjourney through the Way of tea from its origins in the sacred mountainsand temples of China, through its links to Daoist concepts such as wuwei or non-striving and the value of worthlessness. This book willinterest tea lovers, as well as those who want to learn more about teaculture, Daoist and Zen thought and practice, and Asian history andculture.Softcover, 172 pagers, $16.95The 12 Chinese Animalsby Zhongxian WuThe Chinese horoscope holds the key to a better understanding of selfand others, and to living a life of harmony. Not just your year of birth,but also the month, day and hour have significance in true Chineseastrology. Master Zhongxian Wu explains how to find your poweranimal symbolise and how to learn from their wisdom. Using the 12animal symbols as a guide, you will learn how to better understandyour personality and make choices that profoundly influence yourhealth, relationships, career, and finances, allowing you to live up toyour greatest potential.Harcover, 189 pages, $18.95The Chinese Book of Animal Powersby Chungliang Al HuangThe powers unleashed by Chungliang Huang's masterful brushpaintings will send centuries of wisdom and energy coursing throughyou. We know these animal energies reside deep within us and it isMaster's Huang's genus to release them through his guiding wordsand swirling brushstrokes. Year by year, month by month, day by day,Chungliang is our laughing, dancing, shape-shifting guide to an ancientrealm of knowing.Hardcover, 32 pages, $18.95Harmonizing Yin and Yang: The Dragon-Tiger Classicby Eva WongA translation of a concise Taoist alchemical manual along with its twomost important commentaries. Covers external alchemy, sexual alchemyand internal alchemy.Softcover, 146 pages. $14.95The Empty Vessel 51

Everyday Tao by Deng Ming-DaoThis companion volume to 365 Tao offers clear, specific directions onbringing the Taoist spirit into our work, our relationships, and otheraspects of our everyday lives.Softcover, 256 pages. $15The Tao of Zen by Ray GriggA must-read for anyone interested in the influence of Taoism on Zen Buddhism.This book llustrates how much of what we think of as uniquelyZen—such as love of spontaneity; connection to nature; belief in directexperience; non-reliance on sutras, rituals and priests; love of paradox;human and "foolish wisdom"—all come directly from Taoism.Softcover, 357 pages. $16.95Entering the Tao by Hua Ching NiA valuable anthology of Master Ni's work, culled from prolific writings;it provides a good overview of his work. There is advice and inspirationon many aspects of life, from the physical to the spiritual. A goodintroduction to this contemporary Taoist master's work.Softcover, 158 pages. $13The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin HoffA playful and fun way to learn Taoism, using the stories of Winnie thePooh. A great book for that friend who you want to introduce to Taoismin an entertaining and endearing fashion. Softcover, 158 pages. $11.95Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Editiontranslated by Jonathan StarContains not only a new translation but provides verbatim translation ofeach verse—including Chinese character, pin yin as well as all possibleEnglish meanings. Also contains commentary as well as further definitionsof Chinese characters, a concordance as well as Wade giles to Pinyinconversion. A great way to delve deeply into this ancient classic as wellas derive your own version of Laozi's work.Hardcover, 349 pages. $32.95Taoism: The Road to Immortality by John BlofeldIn this comprehensive study, John Blofeld explains the fundamentalconcepts of Taoism, tells many stories of ancient masters, and providsincisive reflections on Taoist verse. Taoist yoga, a little known aspect ofTaoist practice, is also discussed in detail. He also writes in a colorfuland unique way about his visits to Taoist hermitages in China and hisinterchanges with contemporary masters.Softcover, 195 pages. $16Taoism: Way Beyond Seeking by Alan WattsTranscribed lectures from between 1968 and 1973 covering such topicsas "The Philosophy of the Tao," "Being in the Way," and "Landscape,Soundscape," Entertaining and illuminating lectures by one of the greatbridges between East and West of this century.Softcover, 109 pages. $10.00Daoism and Chinese Culture by Livia KohnA long-awaited textbook that introduces the major schools, teachings,and practices of Daoism, this work presents a chronological survey thatis thematically divided into four parts: Ancient Thought, Religious Communities,Spiritual Practices, and Modernity. It offers an integrated visionof the Daoist tradition in its historical and cultural context, establishingconnections with relevant information on Confusionism, Chinese Buddhism,popular religion, and political developments.Softcover, 228 pages. $14.95Cultivating Stillness:A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mindtranslated by Eva WongWritten between the second and fifth centuries, this book is attributed toT'ai Shang Lao-chun, the legendary figure widely known as Lao-tzu. Itwas a principle part of the Taoist canon for many centuries. Accompanyingcommentary, written in the nineteenth century by Shui ching Tzu,explains the alchemical symbolism of the text.Softcover, 136 pages. $15A Gathering of Cranes: Bringing the Tao to the Westby Solala TowlerIn this volume of interviews with nine well-known authors and teacherswho have brought Taoism from China to the West, we learn the wisdomand experiences of Taoism, including: meditation, qigong, taiji, Chinesemedicine and the guidance on how to live a healthy and long-lastinglife—mentally, spiritually and physically.Softcover, 149 pages. $12.95Cultivating the Energy of Life by Eva WongA translation of the Hui-Ming Ching and its commentaries, one of themost important Taoist classics on the arts of longevity. Discusses thepractices of the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbits, the role of breathin circulating energy, and the conservation of procreative energy in astraightforward and concrete way.Softcover, 113 pages. $10The Tao of the Tao Te Ching by Michael Lafargue NEWInterprets the concept of "Tao" in the Tao Te Ching as a spiritual state ofmind cultivated in a particular school of ancient China, a sate of mindwhich also expressed itself in a simply but satisfying life-style, and ina low-key but effective style of political leadership.Softcover, 270 pages, $21.95Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching by Robert G. Henricks NEWA new translation based on the recently discover Ma-wang-tui texts.These texts, which were buried in 168 BCE are more than five centuriesolder than any others known This ground breaking work reassess thestory and significance of this well-known text and its role in the developmentof Taoism in early China.Softcover, 283 pages, $20The Essential Chuang Tzu by Sam Hamill & J.P. Seaton NEWA compendium of wisdom stories, verses, fables, conversations andanecdotes. At turns playful and acerbic, these writings present a philosophyof life that is politically radical and deeply spiritual.Hardcover, 170 pages, $22.95.The Taoist ClassicsThe Collected Translations of Thomas ClearyMasterful translations of some of the essential texts ofTaoism.Volume INewTao Te ChingChuang-tzuWen-tzuThe Book of Leadership and StrategySex, Health, and Long LifeSoftcover, 485 pages. $24.95Volume IIUnderstanding RealityThe Inner Teachings of TaoismThe Book of Balance and HarmonyVolume IIIVitality, Energy, SpiritThe Secret of the Golden FlowerImmortal SistersAwakening to the TaoSoftcover, 561 pages. $24.95Volume IVThe Taoist I ChingI Ching MandalasSoftcover, 456 pages. $24.9552 Summer 201146

Tales From the Taoby Solala TowlerTeaching stories from Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu along with passagesfrom the Tao Te Chin as well as original stories form the author. Lavishlyillustrated with photographs from China, Nepal and Tibet.Oversize softcover, 250 pages. $22.95Small Harcover, 192 pages, $12.95Small Hardcover Spanish version, 192 pages, $12.95Qigong/Chi KungInternal Alchemy by Hua Ching Ni" Ancient spiritually achieved ones used alchemical terminology metaphoricallyfor human internal energy transformation. Internal alchemyintends for an individual to transform one's emotions and lower energyto be higher energy and to find the unity of life in order to reach thedivine immortality." Another valuable book from this contemporaryTaoist master.Softcover, 288 pages. $15.95Cosmic Fusion by Mantak ChiaCosmic Fusion exercises establish the spiritual body firmly in the lowerabdomen, where chi energy is gathered and distributed to all parts ofthe body--and into all creation. The fully illustrated exercises in thisbook also show how to collect and channel the greater energies of thestars and planets. By “fusing” all these different energies together,a harmonious whole is created, a unity of what is above and below.Softcover 272 pages, 208 color and b/w illustrations, $18.95.The Way of Qigong by Kenneth S. CohenA truly comprehensive book on qigong, including theory, scientificbasis for qigong, qigong basics, a complete qigong workout, self-healingmassage and the Dao of diet. Also includes extensive appendices. Agreat book for beginners!Softcover, 428 pages. $14.95Complete Guide to Chi-Kungby Daniel ReidThe author is able to achieve an impressive balance between modernscientific knowledge and the ancient wisdom of the Taoist sages. Goodfor anyone who plans to begin practicing qigong or for anyone wishingto go a little deeper in their own practice and written by a well-knownauthor on Chinese medicine and qigong. One of the best books we'veseen on this subject.Softcover, 336 pages. $19.95Opening the Energy Gates of Your Bodyby B.K. FrantzisAs well as including a comprehensive guide to chi kung theory, thisbook also gives you a complete, systematic lesson plan, with 98 functionalillustrations and built-in safeguards to ensure that the exercisesare practiced correctly. The author explains not only how they aredone, but why. Going beyond mere body movement, he teaches fromthe inside out, linking the biomechanics and anatomy of the physicalbody with the subtleties of the energetic (chi) body.Softcover, 200 pages. $16.95101Taoist Ways to Transform Stress into Vitalityby Mantak ChiaEnergy Balance through the Tao: Exercises forAn introduction to the ancient Taoist exercise system of Tao Yin. Tao Yinfocuses on cr12eating balance between internal and external energies andrevitalizing the body, mind, and spirit with a combination of strength,flexibility, and internal energy exercises. Its ultimate goal is for thepractitioner to become pure, responsive, and full of energy, like a child.Softcover, 224 pages, $18.Fusion of the Eight Physchic Channelsby Mantak ChiaShows how to open the Great Bridge Channel and the Great RegulatorChannel--the last of the eight psychic channels that connect thetwelve organ meridians and enable energy to flow from one meridianto another. By opening these psychic channels in conjunction withthe Microcosmic Orbit, practitioners can balance and regulate theenergy flow throughout the body to protect all the body’s centers.Softcover, 128 pages, $14.95The Root of Chinese Chi Kung by Dr. Yang Jwing-MingA valuable work by a well known chi kung master, this volume covershistory, basic concepts, categories , chi kung theories as well as keysto chi kung training.Softcover, 272 pages. $27.95The Eight Treasures by Maoshing NiEight sets of exercises that combine toning and strengthening movements,stretching, and specific breathing techniques for the purpose ofmaintaining health and preventing disease. An ancient system of energyenhancing movements based on the natural motion of the heavenlyChinese Soaring Crane Qigong by Zhao, Jin XiangA workbook of the immensely popular form of chi gong. This easy tolearn, half hour form is practiced by millions of people in China and isextremely powerful.(See video section for accompanying video)Softcover, spiral bound, 102 pages. $30Mastering Chi by Hua Ching NiA great introduction to anyone just beginning qigong practice. Includes:Choosing the Exercise Right For You; sections on Children, Young People,Older People, Men and Women; and descriptions of various types of taijiand qigong exercises.Softcover, 220 pages. $17.95Attune Your Body With Dao-In by Hua Ching NiA step-by-step instructional book on this ancient Taoist exercise. Muchlike a Taoist yoga workout, Dao-In is gentle and easy to do. Illustrated.(See video section for accompanying video).Softcover, 135 pages. $16.95The Healer Within by Roger JahnkeDetails the scientific healing and personal cultivation aspects of qigong forWestern readers and practitioners. Offers tools and methods for treatingand maintaining a personal qigong and meditation practice—from gentlemovement through self-applied massage, breathing practices and deeprelaxation and meditation practices.Softcover, 264 pages $14by Mantak ChiaAn introduction to the ancient Taoist exercise system of Tao Yin. Tao Yinfocuses on cr12eating balance between internal and external energies andrevitalizing the body, mind, and spirit with a combination of strength,flexibility, and internal energy exercises. Its ultimate goal is for thepractitioner to become pure, responsive, and full of energy, like a child.Softcover, 224 pages, $18.Fusion of the Eight Psychic Channelsby Mantak ChiaShows how to open the Great Bridge Channel and the Great RegulatorChannel--the last of the eight psychic channels that connect thetwelve organ meridians and enable energy to flow from one meridianto another. By opening these psychic channels in conjunction withthe Microcosmic Orbit, practitioners can balance and regulate theenergy flow throughout the body to protect all the body’s centers.Softcover, 128 pages, $14.9545The Empty Vessel 53

The Root of Chinese Chi Kung by Dr. Yang Jwing-MingA valuable work by a well known chi kung master, this volume covershistory, basic concepts, categories , chi kung theories as well as keysto chi kung training.Softcover, 272 pages. $27.95The Eight Treasuresby Maoshing NiEight sets of exercises that combine toning and strengthening movements,stretching, and specific breathing techniques for the purpose ofmaintaining health and preventing disease. An ancient system of energyenhancing movements based on the natural motion of the heavenlybodies. (See accompanying video).Softcover, 196 pages, $17.95The Healing Promise of Qiby Roger JahnkeOne of the best resources for using both qigong and taiji for creating ahealthy and fulfilling life. Filled with exercises, stories, illustrations andwonderful insights by someone who has spent many years practicingand these these ancient arts.Hardcover, 316 pages, $24.95Health and Long Life The Chinese Way by Livia KohnThis book, written by theauthor of a number ob books on Daoist philosophyand practice, is a good overall view of Chinese health practices,which cover a wide variety of subjects. Besides chapters on diagnosis,acupuncture, massage and herbal treatments, the book contains chapterson fengshui, food cures, qigong, meditation, inner alchemy andsexual practices.Softcover, 235 pages, $24.95The Chi Revolution by Bruce Frantzis NEWChallenges you to free ourself from negative actions and the incessantchatter of our monkey mind, and optimize you health and well-being.The unique energetic exercises that comprise the Chi Rev Workoutwill teach you how to activate and strengthen your chi so you can startrelaxing into your life today.Softcover, 223 pages, $19.95.Jade Woman Qigongby Master Liu HeMaster Liu's signature form of qigong is desinged to help all womenachieve wholeness by activating the innate healing power within theirown minds and bodies. The result is a greater awareness of all aspectsof a women's spiritual, mental, emotional and physical life.Softcover,236 pages. $27.95Chinese Martial Arts/Taiji (Tai Chi)The Power of Internal Martial Arts by B.K. FrantzisThe most informative book on internal martial arts we have encoun-tered, clearly explains the differences between external, internal andcombination martial art styles, indicating the strengths and weaknessof each art. Covers tai chi, bagua and hsing-i. Includes a section on UsingEnergy to Heal which teaches the health aspects of the martial arts.Softcover, 344 pages $19.95The Essence of Tai Chi Chi Kung by Dr. Yang Jwing-MingTai chi chuan training usually starts with the practice of special chikung sets. These are designed to help the beginner understand chiand to learn how to use the concentrated mind to lead the chi so thatit can circulate smoothly. This book presents a brief discussion of thebackground and principles of Chinese chi kung and tai chi chuan, thenexplains several tai chi chi kung practice routines.Softcover, 148 pages. $18.95Thinking Body, Dancing Mindby Chungliang Al Huang & Jerry LynchIn this remarkable book, tai chi expert Chungliang Al Huang and renownedprofessional and Olympic spirits psychologist Jerry Lynch teachyou the time-honored principles of successful performance—whether onthe playing field, in the office, or in our relationships. By mastering theunique strategies and mental exercises of the TaoAthlete, you'll unlockthe extraordinary powers of body, mind, and spirit that will lead you tovictory in any field of endeavor.Softcover, 306 pages. $13.95Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain by Chungliang Al HuangA more in-depth exploration of tai ji, both the formal practice and whatChungliang calls "the tai ji of life." Also includes wonderful photos (blackand white) by Si Chi Ko. For anyone interested in taking the form bothdeeper and wider into their life and the rest of the world.Softcover,188 pages. $17.95Chinese MedicineThe Web That Has No Weaver:Understanding Chinese Medicineby Ted. J. KaptchuckOne of the first and best books published on Traditional Chinese Medicinefor the lay person. This book covers yin yang theory, three treasures,eight condition diagnosis, meridians, organ system and lots more, allpresented in an easy-to-understand format.Softcover, 500 pages. $18.95The Complete Book of Chinese Health and Healingby Daniel ReidThis book does a very good job of not only explaining Chinese medicinebut putting it into its Taoist context, including chi gong, meditation anddiet. Softcover, $22.95A Handbook of Chinese Healing Herbs by Daniel ReidA handy guide to 108 of the most widely used Chinese herbs, with descriptions,therapeutic effects, preparation methods and dosages. Alsoincludes a brief overview of the basic terms and concepts of TraditionalChinese Medicine, simple instructions for preparing herbal formulas athome, a guide to dozens of readily available, prepared herbal formulasfor common ailments, and an index of symptoms and ailments and more.Softcover, 328 pages. $15The Yellow Emperor's Classic of MedicineA New Translation of the Neijing Suwen with Commentaryby Maoshing NiPerhaps the most famous classic of Chinese Medicine, attributed to theYellow Emperor, who reigned during the third millennium BCE. Thisnew translation consists of the eighty-one chapters of the section of theNeijing known as the Suwen or "Questions of Organic and FundamentalNature." For the non-practitioner, this text has many insights into understandingseasonal and dietary influences and general lifestyle habitsthat affect the energy flow through our meridians and into our organs.Softcover, 316 pages. $18Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicineby Harriet Beinfield & Efram KorngoldAddresses three vital areas of Chinese medicine—theory, therapy andtypes—to present a comprehensive, yet understandable guide to thisancient system. Easily understandable by the layperson.Softcover, 432 pages. $14Power of Natural Healing by Hua-Ching NiDiscusses the natural aspects of healing in contrast to conventionalmedicine. Offers information and practices which can enhance anytreatment method currently being used by anyone seeking full health.It goes deeper to discuss methods of Taoist cultivation which promote54 Summer 2011

a healthy life, including Taoist spiritual practices for achievement andattaining immortality.Softcover, 200 pages. $14.95The Tao of Nutrition by Maoshing NiIn addition to describing the energetic properties of various foodsaccording to Taoist belief, the author offers a guide to a balanced dietbased on the principles of Chinese nutrition. Suggested remedial dietsand food items for common conditions ranging from acne to wormsare included. An additional section covers simple vegetarian recipes.Softcover, 214 pages. $14.95Chinese Herbal Medicine by Daniel P. ReidHighly illustrated, it examines the natural flora and fauna on whichherbal medicine is based and explains the philosophy that propelled itsdevelopment. Describing the art and practice of herbal medicine as appliedtoday, it also highlights the potential to combine modern Westerndiagnoses and traditional Chinese treatment to form a complete andeffective system for both preventative and curative medicine.Softcover, 175 pages. $25Sexual CultivationTaoist Secrets of Love: Cultivating Male Sexual Energyby Mantak Chia & Michael WinnA unique volume of Taoist Sexual Yoga, especially attuned to the male.These practices enable men to conserve and transform sexual energythrough its circulation in the Microcosmic Orbit, invigorating andrejuvenating the body's vital functions. Hidden for centuries, theseesoteric techniques and principles make the process of linking sexualenergy and transcendent states of consciousness accessible to the reader.Soft cover, 250 pages. $16.95Healing Love Through the Tao:Cultivating Female Sexual Energyby Mantak and Maneewan ChiaThis book outlines the methods for cultivating female sexual energy,introducing for the first time in the West the different techniques fortransforming and circulating female sexual energy.Softcover, 328 pages. $14.95The Tao of Love and Sex by Jolan ChangLongevity and the sexual response: the prolongation of virility intoextreme old age; the art of lovemaking regarded as a basic therapy inthe Taoist medical canon—these subjects, which are burning topics forus in the West, are discussed with insight in this first detailed studyof the lovecraft of the Taoist medical schools. Illustrated with classicalerotic paintings.Softcover, 136 pages. $15Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasyby Nik Douglas & Penny SlingerA definitive and all-encompassing guide to sex and mysticism. Profuselyillustrated throughout, it covers sacred sexuality from the traditions ofIndia, Nepal, Tibet, China and Japan. Reveals the wisdom of the sageswhose teachings on sexuality have stood the test of twenty centuriesand, even today, show how physical love can become the pathway toliberation.Softcover, 383 pages. $25The Tao of Sexby Howard S. Levy & Akira IshiharaConsists of a highly readable translation of the sexological sectionsfound in the Japanese medical encyclopedia "The Essence of MedicalPrescriptions" (Ishimpo) which has been celebrated as the most importantbible of sex for East Asia. Softcover, 241 pages. $15.95The Sexual Teachings of the White Tigress:Secrets of the Female Taoist Mastersby Hsi LaiTranslation of a 3,000-year-old White Tigress sexual manual explainingtechniques for absorbing male sexual energy, intensifying organs,restoring beauty, re-creating youthful sexual energy and enliven thesexual organs. Softcover, 264 pages, $19.95The Sexual Teachings of the Jade Dragon:Taoist Methods for Male Sexual Revitalizationby Hsi LaiReveals how Taoist sexual practices can help men achieve "immortality"through the enhancement of their sexual prowess through a 3,000-yearoldsystem. The goal of the Jade Dragon is health, longevity and immortallythough external and internal regimens for the enhancementand accumulation of the Three treasures of Taoism—jing (sexual andphysical energy), qi (breath and vital energy), and shen (spiritual andmental energy).Softcover, 242 pages, 16.95DVDsAttune Your Body with Dao-In by Hua-Ching NiDao-In is a Taoist exercise consisting of a series of gentle, rhythmicmovements to adjust and attune, and at the same time generate,strengthen or invigorate personal energy. Presented by contemporaryTaoist master, Hua-Ching Ni, himself in his eighties, who demonstratesthe movements and is himself an example of the healing properties ofthis ancient yet simple practice.50 minutes $39.95Self-Healing Qigong For the Five Organ Systemsby Dr. Maoshing NiAn excellent course in self-healing qigong, this video offers a comprehensivecourse as taught by Dr. Maoshing Ni of Yo San University.Covers specific techniques for healing and strengthening the five majororgan systems (liver, kidney/bladder, respiratory/immune, cardiovascularand digestive). Each organ system is explained in detail in bothmedical and energetic terms and then the specific exercise is taught.Two hours, $39.95Qigong:Awakening and Mastering the MedicineWithin by Roger JahnkeIncludes the Enhance Vitality Method, a practice of stretches andwarm-ups to enhance the movement of blood, lymph, qi and oxygenthroughout the body; the Seven Precious Practices, movements togather and release qi; the Tendon Changing Practice, concerned withoptimizing coordinating and balancing the connective tissues of thebody; Marrow Washing Practice, combines accumulated qi from theelements to store it in the marrow, enhancing blood and immune factors.Roger Jahnke brings a gentle yet authoritative voice to this field.60 minutes, $29.95Eight Simple Exercises for Health: Eight Pieces of Brocadeby Yang Jwing-MingCompanion video to the book of the same name. $29.95The Eight Treasures by Maoshing NiCompanion video to the book of the same name. Never before presentedin its entire 32 movement form, this system of Eight Treasure's isunique in its ability to work the body from head to toe while unblockingobstructions in the energy channels. $39.95The Empty Vessel 55

Qigong by Ken CohenCovers the two most important basic forms of qigong—Healing Soundsand Standing Meditation. Use to cleanse the body of stagnant energyand recharge the body with fresh, healing breath. Includes both basicand intermediate practices, complementary meditations and a clearsummary of underlying principles and theory. $29.95Jade Woman Qigongby Maser Liu HeMaster Liu's signature form of qigong is desinged to help all womenachieve wholeness by activating the innate healing power within theirown minds and bodies. The result is a greater awareness of all aspectsof a women's spiritual, mental, emotional and physical life.35 minutes, $35 NEWChi Kung Fundamentals: Five AnimalsDo Six Healing Sounds + Inner Smileby Michael WinnChina's oldest shamanic chi kung + Ocean Breathing. Fuses color,sound, breath, virtue and movement into One fun, powerful method.Audio (4.5 hrs) + Video (1.5 hrs) $59 Video only $24.95Open Micro-Cosmic Orbit by Michael Winn10 top methods. Advanced jing-chi-shen theory, guided meditation tomix chi & blood. Five unique Heaven & Earth chi kung movementseasily open and balance yin-yang chi flow.Video (2 hrs) $45Healing Love/Tao of Sex by Michael WinnHeal male, female sexual problems (impotence to PMS). Sexual chikung creates Original Force suction. Supercharge your orgasm, boostcreativity, grasp sexual relationship dynamics. No partner need, forsingle or dual cultivators.Audio (9 hrs) + Video (2 hrs) $135. Audio only: $109Primordial (Wuji) Chi Kung by Michael WinnA magical ceremony mixes tai chi, feng shui, alchemy & chi kung. Gatherschi of directions, collect power of Heaven & Earth, opens inner heartto Supreme Unknown. Easy to learn, delivers chi fast.Video (1.5 hrs) $45Deep Healing Chi Kung by Michael WinnUsed in Chinese chi kung hospitals for chronic & terminal illness. Iadded alchemical elements, now spiritually powerful, useful to anyoneseeking deep change. Video (1.5 hrs): $29Dancing Qigong NEWby Jack Bray, M.A.This is a delightful dancing romp full of qigong healing dance movementsthat strengthen the five major organ systems. It containsdetoxification movements. It moves energy along the meridian linesand through the organs: a powerful form of qigong done to music. 20minutes, $19.95Self-Massage and One Thousand Hands Buddhaby Liu HeSelf Massage can be practiced any time of the day to bring quiet tothe mind and awaken the body with renewed energy. One ThousandHands Buddha is a spiritual healing qigong method inspired by thesymbolic positioning of Buddha's fingers, referred to as "mudras." It isan approach producing calmness, which inhibits the heart from "gallopingaway", thus leading the practitioner into a state of silence andpeace a little at a time.64 minutes. $35Kung Fu for Kidsby Nicholas Yang and Ben WarnerAn instructional program that teaches children the basics of traditionalKung Fu in a fun and exciting way. The discipline and focus learned inKung Fu can help kids in many other activities, including academics,sports, music, and literature.75 minutes. $19.95 NEWCDsTaoism: Essential Teachings of the Way and Its Powerby Ken CohenIn easy-to-follow language, Ken Cohen reveals Lao Tzu's vast spirituallegacy, including Taoism's mystical roots in China's ancient shamanistictradition. This complete introduction to Taoism covers: origins, philosophy,and religion; keys to ethical living, inner silence and simplicity;Taoist meditation for awareness and healing; Taoist prayers, rituals, andiconography; teachings on diet, poetry, feng shui, dream yoga, and muchmore. 3 cassette set: $24.95Practice of Qigong: Meditation and Healing by Ken Cohen5 cassette set.A complete study course. This step-by-step course covers every phase ofqigong theory and practice, including 25 rare meditation exercises withspecific instructions for breathing, postures, and visualizations.6 hours, $39.95Chi Kung Meditations by Ken CohenTeaches a series of authentic Chinese meditations which are designed tohelp you use your mind to direct the flow of energy within your body.Step-by-step instructions cover correct chi kung postures, awarenesscontrol and proper breathing methods for three meditations to heal thebody, the mind, and the spirit. $10.95Bowls of Compassion CD by Karma MoffettThe haunting music of Tibetan bowls, made of secret alloys of five, sevenand sometimes nine metals, including meteorite. Ringing pairs and groupsof bowls create overtones that interpenetrate each other and the body ofthe listener, allowing one not only to hear the music but also internallyexperience the vibration of the tones. Perfect for meditation or gentlemovement. $15.95Ocean Bowls CDby Karma MoffettThe ocean's natural rhythms and bowls' harmonic tones penetrate thesubtle energy body. Stagnant parts of energy immobilized from injury,trauma or stress are gently vibrated into movement. With repetitionenergy is released and circulated at increasingly profound levels. Perfectfor movement or meditation!60 minutes, $15.95Mountain Gate by Solala TowlerA soothing blend of nature sounds, Tibetan Singing Bowls, bamboo flute,Native flute. Designed specifically for taiji, qigong, meditation, yogaor massage. Two 30-minute sessions—Sun Rises over the Sea & ViewingMoonlight Through the Pines.60 minutes, $15.95Sacred Soundings by Solala TowlerCombining throat singing, harmonic overtone singing, chant and Tibetanbowls, dungchen (7-foot Tibetan horn), ad six different Native Americanand Chinese Flutes. Takes the listen on a journey to the sacred mountainsand then deep into the mysterious mediation caves where one can listento the transcendent sounds of the breathing, singing earth, then backdown the mountain to enter the world again, renewed, refreshed andrejuvenated. 60 minutes, $15.9556 Summer 201150

Windhorse: Spirit of Tibetby Solala TowlerA mystic blend of recordings made in the sacred city of Lhasaand the Tibet inspired music of Solala. The haunting sounds ofthe monks and nuns of the Jokang Temple are joined with flute,overtone singing, throat singing, tabla and other instruments andwith vocal chant by Solala and friends.64 minutes, $15.95Boundlessby Solala TowlerA mystic bland of ocean waves and riversong, Tibetan singingbowls, native and bamboo flute, chant and harmonic overtonesinging.60 minutes, $15.95. NEWTaoist Sexual secretsby Michael WinnYin-Yang as cosmic sexual theory...sexual, energetic & spiritualorgasm...Tao secrets: sexual energy cultivation...male and femaleTao practices...medical sexology for sex dysfunctions...sexualvitality qigong (guided)7 CDs (9 hours) $109Qinxinby Zhongsian Wu.Beautiful music played on the guqin, and ancient Chinese intrument,long treasured by scholars and Daoist masters. Musicspecially designed for use in qigong, taiji and meditation. $15.95Tao of Healingby Dean EvensonBeautiful qin music with haunting flute. $15.95Tao of Peaceby Dean EvensonLyrical flute and qin. $15.95Ocean Dreamsby Dean EvensonBeautiful sounds of ocean waves, whales, flute and vocals. Afavorite here at the abode! $15.95Internal Chi Breathingby Michael WinnUse each breath to build a powerful Energy Body anywhere,anytime! Rare empty force method opens Original Chi in dantien (belly), detoxifies & creates warm current.Audio (4.5 hrs) $49.50Taoist Dream Practiceby Michael WinnWork spiritually & effortlessly while you sleep. Go beyond luciddreaming power napping, lucid waking, dream commands,shortcuts to dimensional travel. Fast way to improve health,manifest what you need.Audio (9 hrs) $99Traditions of TaoHerbal Food SupplementsThese formulas are a comprehensive nutrition foundation. Theformulas cleanse, nourish, strengthen, balance and energize thebody’s systems, building toward and sustaining optimal health inbody, mind and spirit. Used for centuries for internal cultivation,these formulas will enhance and support your energy cultivationpractices.The formulas have been brought to us through theauspices of Taoist master, Hua Ching Ni. In concert with yourcultivation or simply your desire for health and longevity, theNi family, with 38 generations of doctors of Oriental Medicine.has offered Traditions of Tao Regenerative Food Grade Herbs,known as “Superior Foods”, or “Immortal Foods”.Health Pack (700 High Performance, 180 Five Elements,Ancient Treasures Tea, Regenerating Cream) $145Five Elements: concentrated formula (180 caps) $50High Performance (700 tabs) $50High Performance (powder) $55Ancient Treasures Tea $10Internal Cleanse Tea $10Spring Tea $10Summer Tea $10Fall Tea $10Winter Tea $10Calming/Sleeping (caps) $21.95Dura-Bone (caps) $21.95Cold & Flu (caps) $21.95Healthy Joint & Arthritis (caps) $21.95ElixirsPassages $17.95Superclarity $17.95Feminine Desire (Libido Enhancement) $19.95Dragon Male (Performance Enhancement) $19.95Shipping & Handling for Health Pack $6.50 All others$5.00 for first item and $2 for each additional item.For more information on these formulas see ourwebsite at www.abodetao.comThe Empty Vessel 57

Special Sale on Back IssuesMany of our back issues have already sold out. If you would like to order backissues we still have a few sets of 39 issues available for $200, postage included!(U.S. postage only) For overseas orders please contact us at solala@abodetao.com.Fall 1993Premier IssueTeacher of Natural Spiritual Truth:an interview with Hua-Ching NiThe Value of WorthlessnessFall 1994Cultivating the Physical BodyThe Risks of Cultivating Internal PowerZhuangzi Speaks ComicsA Taoist AbroadWinter 1995"Nothing Special":an interview with Kenneth CohenThe School of Auto-IdiocySitting Still: MeditationSpring 1995"Cultivating the Garden":an interview with Maoshing NiWinter 1996Myth of Myself by Alan WattsAchieving Harmony in a World of ConflictJing Hwa: The Golden Flower of Tao MentoringSpring 1996Surfing the Wu WeiTaoism for Children and TeenagersWinter 1997Eight Immortal Days with Kwan Sai-HungRefining the MindExploring the Terrain of Taoist ChinaSpring 1997Qigong CautionsInvoking the Heart of CompassionInterview with T.K. ShihSummer 1997Cha Tao: The Way of TeaQi Qing: The Seven EmotionsThe Tao of Perfect EyesightWinter 1998Tao and the Great MotherQigong Mysteries and PracticesTao Yin: Meditation in MovementSummer 1998Working Out, Working WithinTaoist PsychotherapyThe Power of Internal Martial Artswith B.K. FrantzisSpring 2000The Eight Immortals of TaoismFive Elements and Taoist Feng ShuiHealth, Illness and Healing in the Inner TraditionSummer 2000Trusting Your True NatureUnderstanding Chinese MedicineFall 2000Qigong and Unconditional LoveThe Valley Spirit (Living Taoism)The Taoist Antidote to Stress and IllnessSummer 2002Longevity and the Eight BrocadesDaoist Sitting MeditationInterview with Zhongxian WuSummer 2003The Feminine and the Dao:an interview with Ursula K. LeGuinDaoism and the Classical Chinese ArtsThe Daoist Roots of Zen BuddhismFall 2004Qigong as a Portal to PresenceDaoist AlchemyDaoism and the Origins of QigongThe Power of MenopauseSpring 2005The Ancient Daoist Magic Mirror2 1st Century Strategies for New DaoismThe Inner SmileSpring 2006The Death of Chuang TzuThe Dao of ConsciousnessQigong Prison MinisterySummer 2005Teachings From the DaoWandering on the Wind:Two Chapters from ZhuangziWinter 2006A Daoist Tea CeremonyDao and QiWandering on the Wind:Two Chapters from the ZuangziSping 2006The Death of Chuang TzuThe Dao of ConsciousnessQigong Prison MinisterySummer 2006Transforming the Energy of NegativitySpiritual/Mental Qualities of the OrgansEVTour to China & TibetSpring 2007Gardening with QiA Taoist View of EnlightenmentInterview with Eva WongSummer 2007Discovering the I ChingShen: The Celestial StorehouseLu Yu Meets a True Tea MasterFall 2007Daoist Lower Dan-tien PsychotherapyMedical QigongQigong Master Wan Su-jianWinter 2008Looking for Daoists in China,Mortal and ImmortalHuanyang Qigong: Tracing Life to Its RootsQigong Fever58 Summer 2011

Spring 2008Special I Ching IssueThe I Ching:The Motherlode of the Chi RevolutionIntroduction to the Guidance of the Sixty-Four HexagramsFlying with the I ChingMethods of DivinationSymbolism and Prediction with the YijingSummer 2008The Secret Training of Daoist Magical IncantationsThe Making of an ImmortalThe Crocodile and the CraneFall 2008Return to Wuyi Mountain withChungliang Al HuangThe Chinese way of the SwordSexual QigongChicken Soup for Daoist AlchemyWinter 2009Returning to Essence Through Shamanic Qigong and Sacred Sound HealingThe Spirit of TeaDao at the Beach: Searching for Dao in Daily LifeSummer 2009The Seasons of TeaTaijiquan as QigongHealing Through Jade Woman QigongEmpty Vessel Trip to ChinaFall 2009Qigong and the DreamtimeThe Natural Process of Internal AlchemyZhuangzi: The Inner ChaptersWinter 2010A Daoist Master's Search for his Chinese AncestryDaoism in the Korean MountainsThe Daoist System of Lao Zi: Part OneSpring 2010The Liezi: Forgotten Daoist Text?Spirit of the Dancing WarriorBagua and Tai Chi: Sophisticated Health ExercisesA Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 1by Chungliang Al HuangSummer 2010Bagua: Why Practice This Old and Obscure Art?Mystical Wudang MountainGuidelines for Setting Up a Daoist AltarA Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 2Fall 2010Chuang Tzu: The Way of Nourishing LifeNudan Practice and Modern WomenTaoists, Doctors and ShamansA Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 3Winter 2011Chinese Astrology and Inner CultivationYi: Intention, Practice and the Incubation of the SageWu Wei: The Daoist Art of HappinessA Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 4Spring 2011Daoism in America: A Conversation with Xuan Yun (Mysterious Cloud)Return to Stillnes is the Motion of TaoPu the HEART Backinto LOVESpeical Section on BiGu (Avoiding Food and Eating Qi)Back issues are $7.50 postpaid. (Add $2 per issue outside U.S.)Send check or money order (in U.S. funds) toThe Abode of the Eternal Tao 1991 Garfield St. Eugene, OR 97405or call 800-574-5118/541-345-8854The Empty Vessel 59

The following books have been written by Professor Jerry Alan Johnson and contain translated texts fromancient Zheng Yi Daoist Mysticism and are introduced for the first time in English!Magic Talismans. This amazing book contains a comprehensive Introduction to Magic Talismans, Applications of Magic Talismans,Types of Magical Talismans, The Origin of Magical Talismans, The Secret Teachings of Magic Talismans, Constructing a Magic Talisman, MaoShan Protection Talismans Used For Fighting Against Black Magic and Psychic Attacks, and much more! NEW!Daoist Magical Incantations, Hand Seals, and Star Stepping Introduction to Training Daoist Magic, History ofDaoist Magic, Training the Mind Secret, Training the Speech Secret, Words and Magic, Incantations, Daoist Magical Hand Seal Training,Introduction to Hand Seals, Types of Hand Seals, Eight Trigram Double-Hand Seals for Gathering Power, Hand Seals and Rituals,Hand Seals Used For Summoning, Hand Seals Used For Attacking and Defending, Hand Seals Used For Protection. History of DaoistStar Stepping, The Steps of Yu, Ancient Daoist Stepping Patterns, Incantations For The Nine Palaces of Heaven, Offering Incense with“The Dipper of Bright Stars and Pearls” Incantation, Gathering Energy from the Twenty-Eight Star Constellations, Magical EsotericStar Stepping Patterns for Summoning Celestial Immortals, and the Five Animal Protection Incantation and much more. 239 pages $85Magical Tools and the Daoist Altar Acting as a bridge between the human and spirit worlds, the traditional role of the Daoistpriest has been to continually renew the good relationship between the people of his or her community and the celestial powers of the gods. Thevarious esoteric symbols, colors and items used in Daoist magical rituals serve to further focus the sorcerer’s intention. Likewise, the use ofincense, music, magical tools and other materials are sometimes included to intensify the sense and empower the energy used in the magical rite.The following book describes the Daoist mystic’s clothing, altar, magical tools, and magical rituals needed to summon the supernatural powersof the Celestial Immortals as used in the ancient esoteric training of the Zheng Yi Branch of Daoist mysticism and much more. 350 pages. $165Daoist Exorcism: Encounters With Sorcerers, Ghosts, Spirits and Demons History of Exorcism,Three Realms of Daoist Mysticism, Interactions with the Spirit World, Two Schools of Daoist Sorcery, Understanding PsychicInfluence, Principles of Psychic Interference, Psychic Attacks, Types of Psychic Attacks, Symptoms That Indicate a Psychic Attack,Defending Against Psychic Attacks, Encounters With Ghosts,Self-Defense Against Spirit Entities, Protecting Children, Closingthe Ghost Gate to Protect against Ghosts and Spirits, Encounters With Demonic and Evil Spirits and much more. 205 pages. $65Daoist Mineral Magic The Study of the Realm of Minerals, Introduction to the Alchemical Transformations of Minerals,History of Magical and Medicinal Rocks, Formation of Minerals and Crystals, Minerals in Traditional Chinese Pharmacology,Absorbing the Healing Properties of Gems, Creating Gem Ens Elixirs, Cleansing the Crystal With Sunlight, Moonlight, Flowing Wateror Earth, Ritualistic Cleansing and Incantations, Charging a Stone, Storage and Care of the Gem Elixir and much more. 162 pages. $50Daoist Plant and Animal Magic Introduction to the Alchemical Transformations of Plants, Superior,Medium, and Inferior Herbs, Gathering Energy from Nature, The Magical Properties of Trees, Gathering Qi fromTrees , Locating Tree Power Spots, Precautions, Tree Spirits, Forest Spirits, The Magical Properties of Plants, VisionaryPlants, Gathering Qi From Plants, Daoist Celestial Animal Totems, Animal Shapeshifting and much more. 239 pages. $85Daoist Magical Transformation Skills, Dream Magic, Shape-Shifting, Soul Travel & Sex MagicTransformation Skills of Daoist Sorcery, Two Types of Magical Transformation Skill, Weather Magic, Divination Magic, CorpseMagicIntroduction to Daoist Sex Magic, Three Stages of Relationship, Levels of Intimacy, Applications of Sex Magic, Using Sexual Magicfor Energy Cultivation, Sexual Postures and Techniques, Sex Magic Rituals, Deity Magic and Sex Magic and much more. 248 pages. $85To order these books send check or money order along with $5 s/h for each book to: TheAbode of the Eternal Tao 1991 Garfield St Eugene, OR 97505 541.345.8854/800.574.51160 Summer 2011

SINGING DRAGONauthoritative new and classic books on Daoism, Qigong,Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Alternative HealthPerennial editions of classics by Master Chungliang Al HuangQuantum soupFortune Cookies in CrisisNew and enlarged edition160pp • 8.5x11PaperbackISBN: 978-1-84819-054-2 • $24.95“An elegant, wise and playfulexpression of Taoist and Zen Buddhistsensibilities in a Western setting—a philosophicalentertainment with a collection of anecdotes, aphorismsand koan-like ruminations, all served up in appetizerportions.”—Los Angeles Timesessential tai jiPhotographs bySi Chi Ko80pp • 6x9.25PaperbackISBN: 978-1-84819-053-5 • $18.95Chungliang Al Huang shares thebasic movements of Tai Ji, lovinglypresented in eloquent writing, andaccompanied by splendid full color photography andbeautiful calligraphy. The book promotes strength,relaxation and clarity, as Master Huang teaches how tounify mind and body, achieving a healthier and morefulfilling state of being.the Chinesebook ofanimal powers32pp • 10x8.5HardbackISBN: 978-1-84819-066-5$18.95“The powers unleashed by Chungliang Huang’s masterfulbrush paintings will send centuries of wisdom andenergy coursing through you.”—Gerald McDermott,Fellow of the Joseph Campbell FoundationembraCe tiger,return tomountainThe Essence of Tai JiForeword by Alan WattsPhotographs by Si Chi Ko224pp • 7x10PaperbackISBN: 978-1-84819-052-8 • $19.95This all time classic of Tai Ji literature remains as freshand illuminating today as when it was first published.Written with true passion and eloquence, the bookrichly conveys the subtle yet profound principlesunderlying Tai Ji: movement, stillness, joyfulness, andthe ability to live in the moment.Chungliang Al Huang is the founder of Living Tao Foundation, an international cultural-arts network forlifelong learning, and the director of the Lan Ting Institute, a cross-cultural study and conference center atthe sacred and historic Wu Yi Mountain, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the People’s Republic ofChina, and at Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast in the USA.New titles by Master Zhang Guangdenourish the blood,tonify the Qi topromote longevity,and Calm andConCentrate themind to regulatethe heartDao Yin Yang Sheng GongFoundation Sequences 1128pp • 6x9.25 • Paperback + DVDISBN: 978-1-84819-072-6 • $24.95includesDVDthirteen movementsto stretCh the bodyand make it moresupple, and guidingand harmonisingenergy to regulatethe breathDao Yin Yang Sheng GongFoundation Sequences 2112pp • 6x9.25 • Paperback + DVDISBN: 978-1-84819-071-9 • $24.95Singing DragonincludesDVDProfessor Zhang has spent nearly forty years developing his system which combines The I Ching with the primarytheories of Chinese medicine. These books contains detailed step-by-step instructions and illustrations to showevery step of the foundation sequences, and the accompanying DVD will enable even the least experienced ofstudents to begin to grasp this form of Qigong.to order, call toll-free: 1-866-416-1078 or visit our website: www.singingdragon.comNew Release by Master Zhongxian WuChineseshamaniCCosmiC orbitQigongEsoteric Talismans, Mantras,and Mudras in Healingand Inner Cultivation112pp • 5.5x8.5 • PaperbackISBN: 978-1-84819-056-6$19.95Never before written about in the West, this fully illustratedguide illuminates a form that offers great cumulativebenefits from regular daily practice. Master Wudescribes the practice in detail, including the meaningand significance of the Chinese names for each movement,with its shamanic roots, and provides the mantra,visualization, and mudra for each as well as explainingthe therapeutic benefits and talismanic aspects.Also by Master Zhongxian Wuthe 12 ChineseanimalsCreate Harmony inYour Daily Life throughAncient Chinese Wisdom192pp • 5.5x8.5 • HardbackISBN: 978-1-84819-031-3$18.95“Far beyond other sources, thisbook helps you understandyour destiny as described by the 12 animal symbols ofYijing wisdom, helping you reach your personal potential....MasterWu writes ‘Life is Magic’... and this bookhelps you understand it.”—Steve Rhodes, editor of Qi: The Journalof Traditional Eastern Health and Medicineseeking thespirit of thebook of Change8 Days to Mastering aShamanic Yijing (I Ching)Prediction SystemForeword by Daniel Reid240pp • 7x10 • HardbackISBN: 978-1-84819-020-7$29.95hiddenDVDimmortallineage taijiQigongThe Mother FormDVDISBN: 978-1-84819-040-5$39.95awardwinnerThe Empty Vessel 61