Category: Daoism (Philosophical)

Exploring the Qianfeng School of Wu Liu Daoism based in Beijing – and all things ‘Daoist’!

Shi Da Dao - Ch'an Caodong School

UK: On Why Genuine Buddhism is “Anti-Capitalist”! (22.10.2026)

For most people the reality of everyday life involved a mutually supporting communal-activity (a “Sangha”) with “bartering” reserved for the importing or exporting of goods and services. Every member of such communities was a) entitled to all the goods and services of that community, and b) was expected to contribute to the generating of those goods and services. Within the Vinaya Discipline, the Buddha states that the lay-community may participate in any form of “honest” (bloodless) commerce that may (or may not) involve the handling of money (coinage or otherwise). A lay-household must ethically budget to a) supporting itself, and b) the broader community (through charitable donations) – as well as “saving” money (or goods) for emergencies and hard-times. Part of this lay-budgeting involves the lay-household giving waste food and water to the bhikkhus (beggars) of the Buddha as they slowly (and consciously) “walked” through their neighbourhood on a daily basis. The reward is karmically-premised – as this action permits these monastics to pursue the Dhamma in the purest manner. The bhikkhus are “freed” from the requirement of their participating in the world of cyclic existence and this attracts an immeasurable measure of great and good karma. (The situation in China is slightly different – as although the laity is free to donate as little or as much as they like [thus generating good karma] – the monastics must grow their own vegetarian food – and not be a burden to any other community). As for the bhikkhus (and bhikkhunis) there is to be NO participation in the worldly activities associated with commerce. This is because all greed, hatred, and delusion must be uprooted during meditation practice from the mind and body.

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Gee Stands with Her Grandparents Who Came to England in the 1950s & 1960s!

UK: Cleaning the Ancestral Graves [Chung Yeung – 重陽] – Mid Autumn “Hungry Ghost” Festival!

As summer transition to Autumn – the mid-point is considered a time when the material world is in a state of commune with the unseen spiritual world. The ideograms “重陽” are pronounced “Zhong Yang” (Double Nine) in Putonghua (Mandarin) – are pronounced “Chung Yeung” in the Cantonese dialect (spoken in Hong Kong). In our Hakka dialect we say “Chhiùng-Yòng” – which is nearer the Northern Beijing dialect (Hakka people migrated into the South from the North). Although the graves are cleaned of leaves and dirt – this time of year is usually designed for “feeding” the spirits. Bowls of fresh (sealed) food can be laid near the grave with paper clothing “burned” (the smoke carries the objects up to the divine-sky). The food is then taken away, Incense is lit and flowers distributed.

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Ram Dass the Yogi

UK: Email – Enquiry About Ram Dass – My Answer! (26.9.2026)

As a capitalist he was opposed to Socialism. Meanwhile, “White” bourgeois individuals felt warm and fluffy when they experienced his romanticised stories about India (he even met the Nazi-educated Dalai Lama – saying nothing about his history). Laughably, he thought the pathetic Indian Army had spiritually “beaten” the Chinese PLA in 1962 – despite being physically crushed – as Mao drove on to Delhi (feeding the starving Indians they encountered on the way). If you want to see the latest incarnation of Ram Dass (pun intended) involving (White) Americans pretending to transcend material reality in exchange for money – please access “ramdass.org”. Ironically, many people who receive a “contact high” by listening to the lectures of Ram Dass – upload these lectures to the internet – giving free access to millions. Finally, the genuine Indian Guru – Neem Karoli Baba – taught everyone for “free”. That is a genuine spiritual reality. What Ram Dass and his supporters did to this pristine teaching is nothing less than a travesty and probably a crime in some countries (fraud). All this is the type of the iceberg regarding Ram Dass-related corruption and deception.

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Daoist Immortal By a Lake!

UK: Daoist Magical Spells & Divination Arts! (23.9.2026)

In the Hakka-Cantonese language this (internal) process is termed “Mo-Sut” [魔術] (or “magic arts”). This is not to be confused with the similarly sounding “Mo Sut” (武術) – which stands for “Martial Arts”. “Mo-Sut” [魔術] (or “Magic Arts”) ran parallel with “Mo-Gui” [魔鬼] (or “Magic-Spirits”). My experience of Daoist magic came down through my gongfu training – and not through my Qianfeng Daoist (neidan) training. I suppose I experienced the “folk” variant as practiced within the culture of the Hakka people. In this regard, I practiced “invincibility” spells that prevented me being defeated in fighting over many years (when I was a teacher and lineage head). This is a lesson not in superstition – but sound character building and the application of physical skills. My ongoing training – which maintains my health and strength – constitutes “Immortality” training. Mo-Sut correlates with “self-visualisation” techniques that boost the self – whilst Mo-Gui seeks to unnerve and unsettle an opponent “at a distance” (as if their well-being is being interfered with by an unseen third-party).

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Shen Elixir

UK: Enriched “Shen” – Sometimes Termed “Elixir” in Daoist Texts! (8.9.2026)

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.

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UK: “Soul” & “Psyche” (ψυχή) Are Not “Interchangeable” When Discussing Greek Philosophical Texts! (29.8.2026)

The term Tyndale translates as “soul” in English is the Greek term “psychas” (ψυχὰς) – is the “plural” the more familiar “psyche” (ψυχῇ) – which translates as “breath of life”, “to blow” and “to animate” (in Latin, the Greek term “psyche” is presented by the term “anima”). This probably represents the Hebrew term “Neshama” (נשמה) – meaning “breath”, “spirit”, or “essence” (inner self). The early Christians were radical Jews seeking to distinguish their thinking and practice from mainstream Judaism. The Gnostic Christians were content to use Greek philosophical terms and parallel many Greek paths of inner self-cultivation. Later, with the rise of the Catholic Church (empowered by the Roman State), the Gnostic Churches were suppressed and their scriptures outlawed. Catholic theologians, although continuing to use Greek terms (translated into Latin) – radically departed from the original philosophical meaning of those terms (the teaching and practice of Greek philosophy was banned). This process of moving away in meaning is particularly evident when it is understood that the Greek written form of “psyche” (ψυχῇ) has been replaced in translation by the Germanic (Pagan) term “soul”.

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