Some years ago, a Chinese academic working in the US contacted me and introduced me to Master Zhao Ming Wang in Beijing. He is the great grandson of Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) – was very kind and gave me permission to translate into English is then publicly viewable Daoist blog. I did manage to write a biographical article about Zhao Ming Wang and get it published in the West – but I have always been battling the anti-China ideology permeating from the US – even from amongst some ethnic Chinese people living abroad. Then there are the “fake” Daoist lineages in the West that are inherently linked to the capitalist system – where they think their “income” equals “authenticity”. Those “who know” in and around the Chinese community simply laugh at this pseudo-Daoism. It is the same with Chinese martial arts (gongfu) – where affluent (fake) teachers link their income to being a genuine lineage. So be it. I have lived in and around the Chinese community for decades – and such a cultural setting has become my (personal) and academic speciality. Practicing the Dao requires full breathing, loosening the belt, and sitting quietly. This has to done properly and all the lessons need to be learned.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 