Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Very good!
Only the sage really understands the sage. It really needs courage to say I understand DDJ clearly. Sometime we think that we know everything, it is just because we know nothing.Perhaps here is just another version of the story 🙂
The History of Dao Cultivation
By Li Jiong
The origin of Dao Cultivation started from Lao Zi. Lao Zi was active in Zhou dynasty (about B.C. 11th century B.C. 3rd century), his surname is Li, and his first name is er, another name is Boyang. He was born with a hoary head, so people call him Lao Zi (old mister). In the early of Zhou dynasty, the emperor invited Lao Zi to be a senior official, but Lao Zi did not accept. Then the emperor appointed him as an official of the national library, Lao Zi had been a hermit by this. Lao Zi has many students, among them, Yin Wenshi (Mi Xi/Guan Yin Zi) and Wang Shaoyang (Xuanfu) are the top ones, and they each have the disciples. The lineage from Yin Wenshi is called Wenshi School; the lineage from Wang Shaoyang is called Shaoyang School. Lao Zi has an immortal writing Dao De Jing, it is the Bible of Dao cultivation.In all Dao cultivation schools, Wenshi School is the highest one, and Shaoyang School is the largest one.
Wang Shaoyang taught Zhengyang (Zhongli Quan), Zhengyang taught Chunyang (Lu Dongbin), Chunyang taught Wang Chongyang first, and Chongyang taught Qiu Changchun (Qiu Chuji) etc., they created the North School, in Yuan dynasty (A.D. 13th century), the North School did have millions disciples; Chunyang taught Liu Haichan, Haichan taught Zhang Ziyang, who created the South School.
Yin Wenshi taught Mayi (Li He), Mayi taught Xiyi (Chen Tuan). And Liu Haichan had also taught Neidangong to Xiyi. The two Schools had a join here. Xiyi taught Huo Long, Huo Long taught Zhang Sanfeng, who is also well-known as the initiator of internal martial arts.
It seems Huang Yuanji had never mentioned who his teacher was, but according to the Dao cultivation manner he offered in his writings, it is very close to Zhang Sanfeng. Therefore, it is inferred that Huang Yuanji is a student of Zhan Sanfeng. Huang Yuanji had commentated Dao De Jing in the middle of A.D. 19th century, and he published this invaluable book at A.D. 1884, from then on, all secrets of Dao cultivation are on the paper. However, that is a sad century for Chinese; China had been in chaos caused by war for almost 60 years. People were in a state of anxiety, they did not have the mood to engage in internal cultivation. Therefore, the great Dao has been explained clearly on the paper, it was still not spread widely.Later, the P.R. China founded, the governors took the traditional culture as a superstition, and Dao cultivation was also suppressed.
However, the Dao works in deep, the results come out slowly but surely. Nowadays, the traditional culture shines more and more in China as well as in the world. As the core of Chinese traditional culture, Dao cultivation is also like a rising wind and scudding clouds. We are fortunate to be in this great age and have a great advantage in engaging in Dao cultivation. Don’t let slip this great opportunity. If we do not cultivate ourselves now, when shall we? If we do not study Dao cultivation this life, who knows what one will be after his death!
________________________________________________________________________
Reference Books:
Dao De Jing
The collected edition of Zhang Sanfeng
The Real Meaning of Dao De Jing
Quoted from
http://www.yiquando.com/history.htmlIt seems there are a few chapters are on auction separately now.
Chapter 2 which introduces the primary methods of Dao cultivation;
Chapter 3 which introduces how to make up your Jing, Qi and Shen;
Chapter 4 which introduces how to protect yourself to avoid disaster.Oh, sorry for my bad expression, I do not suggest you are a beginner, I just take me as a beginner since I still try to learn something, and so I still keep physically active seriously.
Anyway, may you have a good time in China!Dao is formless, if say Dao cultivation is just sitting cross legged, that will be ridiculous. Furthermore, Dao follows nature, sitting cross legged forcedly will be harmful obviously. To the beginners, it is recommended to do some simple Gongfu training first, when he has accumulated enough Jing, Qi and experience, and also has a profound understanding on Dao philosophy, then he can start the abstruse meditation.
Thank you for your response, but I didn’t see you there.
Yet there are only two chapters available, but I found these two sections very enlightening, they have revealed a lot of profound information already. Originally, Hang Yuanji wrote this just for his students, and it explains a lot, there is so much information in the commentary about how to go about the practice of cultivating.There is a chapter of The Real Meaning of Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) is just available at http://www.yiquando.com/Dao.html, the comments are very detailed and practical, perhaps you will have a further understanding on Dao De Jing by reading that.
