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Free Sample issue of The Empty Vessel - CommunityAwake

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Photo by Solala Towlereating there he was very puzzled andasked Dana why we were interestedin eating such simple food!) <strong>The</strong> farewas simple yet very tasty.One <strong>of</strong> the nights on our stay inWudang was a full moon so we alltrouped up to the ro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> our hoteland Richard let us on a lovely fullmoon meditation where we got toswallow "moon cream" while I playedmy "magical mystical medicine flute."<strong>The</strong> next day we went on a threehour hike to Nanyue Temple, anancient temple built into the side <strong>of</strong>a mountain (see photo right). <strong>The</strong>yhave a wonderful teahouse at the topwhere several <strong>of</strong> us sat drinking cupafter tiny cup <strong>of</strong> wonderful tea. (Onecalled Daoist tea is made up <strong>of</strong> wild green teaand wild ginseng and another that changed thetaste <strong>of</strong> plain water when drunk after three tinycups <strong>of</strong> tea!)<strong>The</strong> next day we went to see my old friend Jiayewho lives in a cave up behind one <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> us interactingwith the hermit. <strong>The</strong>y were thrilled to see someWesterners there as not many know about this oldhermit they called Old Grandfather. <strong>The</strong>y 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 <strong>of</strong> the wonderful food in China! (Photo by Sarah Braat)It was sometime in this day that I christened ourgroup <strong>The</strong> Cloud Wanderers, an old term for Daoists,who <strong>of</strong>ten traveled from one temple or mountain ormaster to another, in what is called "free and easywandering" in the Zhuangzi. In our free time variousmembers <strong>of</strong> our group would wander <strong>of</strong>f 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 <strong>of</strong> 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!<strong>The</strong>n we hiked down to Monkey Valley and sawmonkeys! (<strong>The</strong>re 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.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Empty</strong> <strong>Vessel</strong> 25

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