Tag: charles luk

Master Yin Le - the New Head Monk of the Shaolin Temple!

China: Shaolin Temple [少林寺] Quickly Appoints New Head Monk! (30.7.2025)

Years ago, when I first accessed the internet, I used to argue with young Americans (and some UK and EU people) that the gongfu they were learning for vast amounts of money in China and the West – was not real and product of youth-orientated (Western-derived) gymnastics. They were so brain-washed they thought the lay-men who taught them in robes were real Shaolin monks! Furthermore, they said that our gongfu was “old fashioned” and “out of date”! Many of the ethnic Chinese “teachers” were greedy and money-orientated – seeing spirituality as “weak”. I stopped arguing as I did not want to be seen as attacking the CPC – which I would never do. In return, I was asked to appear on Chinese TV and explain my connection to China – but I politely refused. The last thing I wanted was further exposure and hundreds of people asking for instruction. It is important to live humbly and simply – and not for show. It is best to disappear and not be seen. If in doubt, keep out of sight.

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Greek Bird

Daoism Email: Birds Sing in China – Birds Sing in Greece! (14.7.2025)

We do not charge money when sharing knowledge – and as long as we can afford the hosting fees – this website will remain open and free to use for everyone! Even if a time comes when this is no longer possible – I hope the articles will have been copied and passed on as is for the general benefit of humanity. Remember, breathing costs nothing, and being aware of breathing costs nothing – so there is no profit margin! Away with all the charlatans of the world and those who try to sell you your own bodily processes! A cultivated wisdom sees through this kind of inherent ignorance which is a sign of the times.

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Richard Hunn: The South-Paw Guitar Player! (15.10.2023)

his is how I ended-up training under Mangala Thero (in 1996) at the Ganga Ramaya Temple (in Beruwela) – situated in Sri Lanka. I have subsequently discovered that Mangala Mahathero has passed away after spending the last decade of his life living and meditating in isolation. I am told that Richard Hunn would sit ‘still’ for hours on end in various Zen Temples throughout the Kyoto area. Although outwardly he was practicing ‘Zen’ – inwardly he was practicing ‘Caodong’ Ch’an – the preferred lineage of Master Xu Yun (1840-1959). Although none of us know how long we will be on this Earth – we must remain vigilant and use our time effectively and productively! Not a single second must be wasted when it comes to self-cultivation! Instead of reading this board – look within! Richard Hunn was my academic and spiritual teacher between 1989-2006. He taught me to read and translate properly every modern and traditional Chinese language ideogram – whilst also conveying to me the teachings of the authentic Chinese Ch’an Buddhist tradition!

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Venerable Old Master Xu Yun [虚云]: No Difference Between a Monk and a Lay-Person! (14.10.2023)

For instance, by cross-referencing the below May 1955 Dharma-Talk with the text of ‘Empty Cloud’ for that year – a more all-round picture can be built of exactly what was happening and how Master Xu Yun was reacting to it. To be clear, Master Xu Yun was adamant that an ordained Buddhist monastic must follow ALL the rules of the Vinaya Discipline and that a lay-person must follow a least five, eight or ten of the basic vows contained in the Vinaya Discipline. This is a practical distinction Master Xu Yun upheld – as he rejected the Japanese Zen tradition of monks being allowed to eat meat, drink alcohol and get married. Such individuals are ‘lay-people’ and NOT monks. This being the case, what is Master Xu Yun referring to when he states that there is ‘no difference’ between the ordained Sangha and the laity?

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Email: Daoism – ‘Advanced Class’ (13.10.2020)

Furthermore, the mind and body can be ‘ill’ whilst the empty mind ground remains pristine and untouched by such worldly machinations. Therefore, as the Cao Dong Masters say – there is something that is never ill. As regards whether I agree or disagree – although I have opinions, I find myself in a position of being where neither makes any sense whilst in the presence of others. If the empty mind ground is fully realised, all Daoist knowledge will be yours and your martial arts practice transformed. I help Master Zhao Ming Wang (of Beijing) as a duty in recognition great grandfather who taught Charles Luk – but Charles had a different approach he learned directly from Zhao Bichen. Zhao Bichen recognised the superiority of the Ch’an method, but thought that most Chinese people could not achieve this objective, whereas they could (and would) submit to the culturally familiar rituals of Daoist methodology. Zhao Bichen, as a nod to modern logic and reason, did update much of the Daoist instruction – replacing many of the obscure Daoist idioms with terms used within Western anatomy and physiology.

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