Home › Forum Online Discussion › General › Huashan, bits and pieces of my experience
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March 9, 2005 at 9:09 am #3083VCraigPParticipant
Craigs experience on Huashan.
Due to some prompting I am hereby relaying some of my experience of Huashan.
Really impossible to encompass it all in words, and also not possible to separate from the entire experience of China.A bit of background, I have studied Chi Kung and Alchemy first with Mantak Chia starting in approximately 1985-86 and through basic teacher training in 1993 at which time a became a certified HT instructor (not very active though). Subsequently I began to study Michael Winns material extensively as soon as he began to release it, and have been on two other retreats led by Michael prior to the 2004 China trip. My experience of working with Michaels material is that it brought me from a place of being stuck in a certain place with the practice to a place of movement and joyful exploration again.
I always give proper gratitude to M.Chia though, and I have had some very good training and experience of meditation directly with him through the late 80s.I had a very close relationship with the person who wrote the anonymous story of his experience which M.Winn then posted. We were in entirely different locations from each other during my first two days in the caves.
I had the honor of staying in a cave which is embedded in the actual rock of Mt. Huashan.
The other cave/temples of Betuping (spelling?) are across and well above from the cave I stayed in. The other honor attached to this cave was that it was the actual cave of which M.Winn has written about his experience of his first retreat on Huashan. I stayed for two days in this cave with a gentleman from Western Canada, who had been to China once before. Actually on the same trip with Plato, and also his roommate. So I got a special perspective of Plato second hand, in addition to my long relationship through the medium of this forum. I am a long time lurker and VERY intermittent contributor.Michael was kind enough to accompany C.D. and myself to this cave and introduce us to the elementals there. My experience of this cave was perhaps not as otherworldly as Martys description of his experience, but we are all going through different things in different ways, or perhaps processing on different levels.
Partly this may have been as aspect of intention coming into play here. It was my intention to link up with the living mountain and not necessarily any humanlike manifestation of immortals or what have you.
To answer one question which was posed directly to me, no I did not have any encounter with Foxes, spiritual or otherwise.
My experience of the cave was that of being enveloped in a very powerful force as soon as stepping inside it. It was very tangible just to move in and out of the cave was the experience of moving into and out of a very strong energy body.
I fasted for the entire three days in which I was in two different caves. Some comments on this. I was prepared to have plenty of food in case I was not able to fast. Though I have virtually no experience with fasting I found that it was accomplished with no effort.
One day prior to beginning the cave experience part of the trip I accompanied five others in an arduous trek from the base of Huashan to the pinnacle of the South Peak. We did this from before dawn until late that same morning. Everyone else took the lift-car more than halfway up the mountain while we were trekking up. This was quite strenuous for me, which doesnt really capture the effort it took. I am 40 and not in great shape lately and was the oldest of the group by several years. However it was a good test of will and also the traditional way of pilgrimage onto Huashan. It provided a very real way of connecting with the Mountain.
Having just done that the day before followed by hiking up the mountain again the next day to Qingkeping (spelling?) which is about halfway, I was fully expecting that my body would need food to be able to maintain and recover while I was in the cave. So it was a pleasant surprise to find myself feasting on chi for fuel instead.
Another thing I did was fast from speaking for over 1.5 days while in the cave. This was quite a revelation as well. The desire to do so arose spontaneously while doing practice.
I had a great experience of coming down out of the cave to do Chi Kung with the group who was staying in the Monastery but not in the caves. I felt like something only part of this world when I came down to practice with them. It was quite extraordinary. Really experiencing my whole energy body and feeling light and glowing.My overall experience was of connecting to a VERY powerful force of nature, and not really with human or spirit of immortals in any sense. Also my experience revolved more around the physical aspects of trusting that I could be nourished and sustained by chi acquired and processed internally.
I did observe a change among people on Huashan. There were several people with whom I had formed close bonds during the trip. Because of that I was able to sense them in more subtle ways than can easily be described, partly because of dissolution of some of the barriers which would ordinarily be there among strangers or even ordinary friends. It seemed that after the three days on Huashan that everyone in my circle had somehow shifted their presence away from the physical and into the spiritual. Hard to describe, but definitely perceived that way by me. Lighter seeming and not having the same physical resonance as before.
In closing my experience of Huashan was powerful, but not easily describable. I felt at the time like things were set in motion which continue to be digested. I definitely absorbed a tremendous amount of energy, and this continued for some time after coming down off the mountain.
March 9, 2005 at 10:48 am #3084Golden SunParticipantThanks for sharing. I live an hour and a half from Sedona and love going there when I have time .I don’t know how it compares to Huan Shan but I feel spiritually uplifted almost as soon as I get in the presence of these ancient Red Rock mountains and power spots.
I would love to check out those power spots in South America also. Man, if I can get out of school and get my business going automatic I could see myself travelling for a couple years and checking out all these places and doing practice there.
I’ll definetly add Huan chan to the long list..right after Egypt!
March 9, 2005 at 12:02 pm #3086Soaring Spirit FeatherParticipantWe were in Sedona about 2 weeks after “Huashan” this summer(did i get the spelling right this time?).
Sedona was incredibly powerful. We camped at the Dead Horse Ranch in the valley and Mountain biked at the Red Rocks park. The desert there is so alive there. While the energy at Huashan is very yang, granite shooting strait up, the energy in Sedona is a swirling vortex. Honestly, the over the top yang energy was very uncomfortable for me on Huashan, and Sedona felt awesome. I found a rock there, shaped like a heart, it asked to come home with me, it misses the sunlight there now.
It’s funny after a long mountian bike ride, we spent the rest of the day on the side of Bell rock. We had no idea of where Bell rock was and went drivng out thru the desert to find it and we did. I did primordial, on the side there. When we got back to the car there were several people asking what if i was doing “tai chi” up there. I was like “wuji qigong” and they knew what it was. Funny, many people in China had no idea what we were doing when they saw us doing qigong. The Chinese would walk by and mutter “Fallingong” (sorry, i catn spell) This was the final piece of the relization that the west is where this is all happening right now.
I thougth month long camping trip in the southwest would help digest the china trip but it instead sent me soaring further.
Enjoy Sedona, i hope to join you there soon!
peace
Mike 🙂
Sedona Picture (ugh, spelling!)March 9, 2005 at 2:39 pm #3088jenParticipantVery refreshing and soothing to the heart to read something different from some of the fundamentalist war going on lately here.
I just finished doing Wu Ji CK and my heart remembers…once again, what it’s all about. Every daoist master I’ve read (from Lao Tzu to Lu Don Bing) says it very clearly: The Dao cannot be understood by the mind; it takes a pure heart to get it (very loose translation).
I don’t want to get dragged into petty discussions about whose is longer (whoever said this I totally agree) I will just go on doing my practice and sending loving chi to all the contributors, whether they are contributing with loving, wise words, like Craig, Chris, and our anonimous friend, or bile, like somebody else said. Whether budist, daoist, catholic or muslim, what matters is: how are your words contributing to make this a better world? Is what you’re saying adding to enlightment or just an absurd way of feeding your ego and need for attention (even if it’s negative)?
I’m so happy that my practice is a shield of light and love that protects me from useless attacks. I truly hope more people could benefit from it.
Much love to my fellow China Dream Trippers.March 9, 2005 at 6:26 pm #3090Soaring Spirit FeatherParticipantOh, it’s nice to feel your love dear freinds!!!!
One of my favorite pics from the trip. Taken shortly before VCraigP ate a delicious meal breaking his 3 day fast. You did eat with us didn’t you!!! Meal cooked by Master Shu, Wren and his young helper. Oh that was the best meal of the trip!!
Also right outside of the “cave” that Marty stayed in when he met those mean ass shining ones on the inner planes!!!
missin’ ya’ll
mike 🙂
March 9, 2005 at 7:37 pm #3092TrunkParticipantI really appreciate your picture gallery.
Inspiring travels.March 9, 2005 at 10:24 pm #3094Golden SunParticipantthe energy there is amazing. Last time I went I had such an amazing experience, it felt like Heaven was getting merged with Earth perfectly. I feel the energy there as very light, my body immedietly feels lighter just hanging out. I feel the outer nature inside my body and mind. Last time I spent the day and felt the effects for like a week afterward.
Even my cousin, who has the energy of a gangster rapper, visited me ffrom Brookly for a few weeks recently and was deeply affected. His ego and resistence was still pretty strong but I felt a deep relaxation in him. And this is a guy that walks around in total resistence/control mode most of the time(As many of my friends from NY do, business and otherwise)
Let me know when you are going to return maybe we can get a Taoist nature trip going:)
March 9, 2005 at 11:59 pm #3096thelernerParticipantPhilosophy hits you in the head and usually (for me anyway) bounces off. Stories like this hit closer to the gut. No lesson, no moral but a glimpse at where I should be aiming.
Thank you and the others for sharing.
Peace
Michael
March 10, 2005 at 2:17 am #3098Soaring Spirit FeatherParticipantYes, we found the energy very balanced there too. But there was a definte swirling form, they call them vortexes whatever that is. I like it. I can imagine it having a profound effect on a city dweller.
We watched the most amazing sunset there at the Dead Horse Ranch, just south of Sedona. What a great campground & who would think there would be water in that desert. We slept with the fly off the tent and watched the sky all night. True magic. As usual, we lit Tibetian insence and played singing bowl.
The next day we went to the Red Rocks park and took a mountain bike ride. We left the car at about 10am and I left without any shirt. First 2 miles, 20 cactus needles, 4 flat tires, i had several tubes and slime thank god.
We rode out to Cathedral Rock and there is this really cool river that runs below it. I had to ford it with the bikes then we went swimming, in the middle of the desert. After a 6 hour ride in the summer sun with no shirt i was not even burnt that was crazy!!! But our skin was definatly the color of red like those rocks.
We went to Colorado from there, 10k feet again, just like Lhasa, Tibet.
I’d love to move to Phoenix, are you near there Golden Sun? That’s about as close as i could get and still make a living. Sedona calls me back every day.
bright white light and filled with stars,
mike 🙂March 10, 2005 at 2:37 am #3100Golden SunParticipantYes, I am in Phoenix. Originally from NY and also lived in the south for awhile. NY will always be where I was born and grew up but the southwest is starting to feel like hime. Sedona is a large part of that I think. I also see myself developing some business opportunities there so I can have a “practical” excuse to visit.
Asheville is pretty nice too though. But didn’t quite hit me as strongly as Sedona..which seems to penetrate deeply into my spirit and heart.
cameron
March 10, 2005 at 10:51 am #3102voiceParticipantMike,
Beauty of a pic. Great vibe coming from…is that Craig?
Sweet surrender.
Great to have you, Marty and Jen on the board. Hopefully you’ll all stick around after the drama recedes.
Chris
March 10, 2005 at 1:31 pm #3104Soaring Spirit FeatherParticipantYa bro that’s Craig.
I don’t think you ever made the hike up to where we were. You were “holed” up somewhere down below. But yea, you can see his radiance there. He was definatly ready to fly …… or maybe eat!!!!
There’s certainly a lot of seeds around there. The Green Immortal must have had a lot to choose from. But how did she survive without chocolate, my supply only lasted 3 days!!!
I’ll hang around once they are done feeding the trolls. Hope we can have some good chats…
peace
mike 🙂 -
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