spiritual practice

  • The false cultivation in Laoshan

    The pursuit of Daoist cultivation is a recurring theme in classical Chinese literature. For instance, Journey to the West’s Sun Wukong voyages to the Spirit Terrace, Square-Inch Mountain seeking immortality from Patriarch Subodhi (Subhuti).

  • Find your own umbrella

    A seeker sheltering from rain under an eave saw a Zen master passing with an umbrella and called out:“Master! Ferry all beings to deliverance — take me with you!”

  • The Heart Sutra and Journey to the West

    We all know that Journey to the West recounts the story of Master Xuanzang and his disciples traveling westward to seek Buddhist scriptures.

  • Wukong – the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven

    ‌In Journey to the West, the names and titles of the characters often carry specific symbolic meanings.‌

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 16

    Chapter 16 of the Dao De Jing synthesizes two pillars of spiritual practice: the cultivation of stability and the cultivation of wisdom‌.

  • Dao De Jing – Chapter 15

    The skilful masters (of the Dao) in old times, with a subtle and exquisite penetration, comprehended its mysteries, and were deep (also) so as to elude men’s knowledge. As they were thus beyond men’s knowledge, I will make an effort to describe of what sort they appeared to be. Shrinking looked they like those…