2011-10-23

Heart-to-heart Transmission

Mark from Pittsburgh went to Shanghai as a Nuclear Engineer. He met Sister Maggie in Shanghai. And when the Chan Patriarch Wu Jue Miao Tian visited China, they had an opportunity to meet. And the years of practice martial arts, qi gong, and other forms of cultivation all came to make sense as the Chan Patriarch literally touched his heart.

Below is Mark's experience:



Within each of us is a light…

My first introduction to sitting Ch’an was from a martial arts teacher that incorporated seated postures and belly breathing as essential aspects of the practice. He also advocated we develop an appreciation of the mind and spirit, not just body..This was a spark that led me to study classics of sun zu, go rin no sho, lao tsu, chung tsu, kong zi, etc…and from there eventually into Buddhist doctrine and sutra study.



I took up more formal and serious practice of zen from such places as Zen mountain monastery in upstate New York, Zen center of Pittsburgh, Dai Bosatsu Zendo and, Bahavana in West Virginia.. I practiced, took formal vows first within the Japanese ritual of jukai then a few years later in Theravada upasaka..Where ever I travelled in the world I’d seek a zen temple, monastery, practice group.. I learned much from great teachers and from sitting with dedicated people in living room meditation centers.

I was inspired to open Dragonsgate. A Ch’an meditation center that provided free classes in body practice like taichi and qigong, study of zen classics, traditional Chinese medicine but always with meditation practice as the foundation for each of these.

To deepen my practice I relocated to China about four years ago, and as result of practicing with the Shanghai Ch’an group had opportunity to be exposed to Master’s teaching, eventually meeting him a few months ago.

Master and I had a wonderful talk after the session , discussing how Chinese medicine, qigong study are all integrated within his teaching, but that the real expression was not form based, but true spiritual practice.. I knew immediately all my previous years of learning, practice and study led me to this place, this point in time.. then Master offered me teaching, direct heart-to-heart.. and changed me…

I experienced profound changes..

Heart feeling: positive pressure,( Like a balloon has been inflated inside my heart) intense white light in center of my heart, “tingle” or “sparkling” sensation.

This feeling is constant, never goes away , increases during meditation, reading sutra, or doing something “good”.. sometimes pressure is uncomfortable, but never painful.. grows as large as a room at times.

Change-of-heart: martial arts, SCA, Kendo, etc..Many of these arts provide their training via consequence or negative reinforcement..(eg: if mind isn’t in the current moment you get hit, pain of impact reinforces to keep your mind focused) or through competition.

After training daily in these arts since 1974, like a light switch, I now feel absolutely no desire to hit someone. Even though there is usually no physical injury in a practice session, I don’t want to cause pain or even fear of possible pain, as teaching. In a similar feeling, now I have no desire for competition, no desire to win at cost of someone else’ loss. My physical practice though ( taichi, qigong, shaolin weapons, western fencing, flipino arnis, kendo, etc…) is more intense, focused and higher level than before… can feel the qi flow through channels/charkas and even extended-projected external through the weapons much more clearly.

Sitting Ch’an (meditation) purifying.. Gold, green, or purple energy gathers/condenses.. then drifts or “shoots away” sometimes at high speed, to vanishing point.. sometimes with faces in the swirling energy mass… a definite feeling of energy leaving the body and mind.. feel “lighter’ or less full afterwards. Typically only these three colors, and by far mostly gold/green.. only ever saw “red” during the actual heart-to-heart transmission with Master, but over the next several weeks, red has been dominant at beginning and end of each of my meditations

Spiritual world transparency: Sometimes see and/or feel essence or energy of other people/spirits in a room, sometimes human shape, sometimes just energy. This feels very natural like they have always been there, just unseen. Its like turning on a light in a darkened room and suddenly seeing much more detail of what and who are in there or like pulling away a window shade to see more clearly through a window. For example; in a conference room at work my team of five people becomes a room of twenty people working, focusing, interaction..sometimes see this at home or other places.. energy or spirit in a body shape or without a body.. feels no real difference. If see these in periphery or don’t focus on them, they stay, relaxed, if I focus directly they fade away.

Ch’an Ding A wonderful deepening of experiences of “Ch’an Ding”..it happens much more frequently than before. I see many points-of-light.. Extreme clarity of thoughts, true wisdom access.

On several occasions when I close my eyes to begin meditation there are many, many points of intense light.. flashing, flickering, connected. This seems always to be a prelude to very deep , no mind state, then information, knowledge, wisdom becomes very clear, simple to understand. Things I have contemplated for years, but didn’t see this new perspective or link, the clarity is now much deeper, but very accessible.

Although I have felt for a long time that I am like a conduit or pipe that energy, knowledge etc.. simply flows through.. this feeling is far more profound now. I used to question everything, always looking for another unconsidered perspective.. with this flow of wisdom there is no question, it is correct, it is fundamental truth. Just as the Masters heart-to-heart transmission requires no questioning no explanation, it is truth, is beyond question.. beyond body, senses or mind…this connection or flow through is same. Before transmission this is very abstract, mind cannot grasp, after transmission it is extremely clear and simple… there is nothing for the mind to grasp.

Chakra: Can very clearly feel all 10, energy flow very tangible, but more of a “pulse” than “cycling”. In one subtitled DVD of Masters Heart Ch’an lectures, that I have had for several years ( maybe 12a) Master talks about energy flowing up wind channel and down fire channel, this seems to be very similar to Taoist “micro-cosmic orbit” but from the DVD lecture I have, it seems to neglect the water channel. My experience recently has been that on the in-breath, energy enters through navel charka, flows down to root charka, then “pulses” up through each channel at same time, can feel each charka without focus on any of them, then it ends with energizing or stimulating ch’an charka.. this cycle completes once each breath. So it feels more like a “pulse” of energy flowing from root to Ch’an, charka, rather than a circle or cycle of the energy.

At first there feelings were always warm, sometimes even hot.. after discussing with Master he told me to focus to a much smaller, much finer point .. when I started to do this .. the cool, feeling was experienced almost immediately.

My way of seeing the world and those around me has changed. I see and feel this light inside everyone now.. I see how they cover it up.. I feel how to help …. My path forward is very clear.


Read more: http://heartchan.org/en/home/item/66-heart-to-heart-transmission.html

Read more:

2011-09-09

The Lineage and Tradition of Chan

Please watch an inspiring video about the Chan Lineage and Tradition!
This speech was filmed at the North America Meditation Retreat in August.
The speaker is one disciple of the 86th generation of the Chan lineage, Jue Miao Ming Lien.

Here is the link:
http://heartchan.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=58:the-lineage-and-tradition-of-chan

2011-09-05

English Chan Meditation Class (Taipei)

New Class!!!
Every Monday evening

UNLOCK YOUR INNER WISDOM!

Welcome to experience your inner peace, step-by-step,
guided by an experienced instructor,
following the most authentic method of meditation!
The benefits of meditation are countless.
  • relieve stress and cure insomnia
  • strengthen immune system
  • delay aging process
  • improve concentration and work efficiency
  • manage anger and stabilize emotions
  • restore clarity of the mind, body ,and soul
  • AND MUCH MORE!!

Registration: http://tinyurl.com/EnglishMeditation2011
Blog: http://gongguanchan.blogspot.com/

Contact: 02-23621314 Hazel Huang
Email: englishmeditation@gmail.com
Suggested Donation:$1000/month($300 for students)


2011-05-18

[Taichung] ONE-DAY CAMP at Asia University

Please note that the ONE-DAY CAMP is moved to JUNE 4th!!

Thank you for your understanding.

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For All the International Students:

We are going to have a ONE-DAY CAMP on the 28th of the May, wish that you can join us !

All classes are conducted in English. You can also experience Taiwanese food (Vegeterian) and relax for a while.
Please click on the image below for a more detailed program.




Time: 9:00~17:30
Date: Sunday, May 28, 2011
Place: Asia University, "I" Building 2nd floor, 215 door number .

One person charge 100 NTD,
2 people 75 NTD,
3 people 50 NTD for each one

Please invite more people to attend; the price is much cheaper.

If you have any question, please e-mail to Khulan ASAP.

Thank you!

2011-05-06

The True, the Good, the Beautiful Meditation Camp

What is inner wisdom?
Why should I try to advance my inner wisdom?
What is enlightenment?
How does one achieve enlightenment?

World Leadership Education Foundation Presents:
The True, the Good, the Beautiful
Meditation Camp, 2011

A Life-Transforming Journey Begins Here:

Group Photo: International Participants and Facilitators
The real way of self-cultivation involves all three layers of human constitution: body, mind, and spirit. First, we purify our physical and mental bodies through Chan-meditation practice in order to liberate our life from physical, mental stress and limitations. Then, we activate the wisdom intrinsic inside the spirituality and transform into cultivation on the spiritual level.

Prove to yourself the existence of spiritual light and liberation in Chan Meditation. Only with the cleansing of heart and mind, one can prove the existence of inner wisdom and achieve ultimate enlightenment.

Programs include:

Fundamentals of Chan
Wisdom of
Chan Master
Chan Meditation
Q & A
Heart-Illumination
Chan Legends
Chan and
World Peace
Motion Chan
Scientific View of Chan


Candlelight Gathering, Chatting Heart to Heart
IMG_2976.jpg
International Meditation Center
Time: July 1st ~ 4th, 2011 (Friday afternoon ~ Monday afternoon)
Place: International Meditation Center,Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County
Fees: $1600 (Transport Costs not Included)
Registration Deadline: 11pm Friday, May 25th, 2011
Information Request: www.tinyurl.com/MeditationSummerCamp-2011

2011-04-12

[HSINCHU] Practice Time

On every week we have opened practicing time in:

NCTU:
Place: Chan Club Office, 4F, Student Activity Center, NCTU
Time: Monday (19:30-20:00)
            Wednesday (12:30-13:00)


NTHU:
Place: Chan Club Office, 5F, Student Activity Center, NTHU
Time:  Tuesday (12:30-13:00)
             Wednesday (12:30-13:00)
             Thursday (12:30-13:00)
             Thursday (18:00-18:30)

Contact: internationalgroup.wlef@gmail.com

2011-04-10

[Hsinchu] Reading Club

Conducted in English, the WLEF Reading Club is a platform for international friends as well as Taiwanese participants to exchange ideas and perspectives about global issues, current affairs, and Peace Studies, etc. Most importantly, by opening our perspectives through cultural exchange, we will also explore the meaning of PEACE in relations to the spirit of CHAN (zen).
Participants may also bring their own reading materials of interest to share with others. Anyone who is interested may join.

The first session will be on this upcoming Sunday 4/17 afternoon. Please sign up so we can send you a copy of this week's reading material:

Peace -- from inner to global; one world one nation, one globe one family (Professor Yu's Keynote Speech)

Date: Sunday 4/17
Time: 3:30pm ~ 5:20pm
Place: International Corner, NCTU Library 3F
Sign up: http://tinyurl.com/ReadingClub2011

*Please note, a Reading Club session will be cancelled if less than 5 people signed up. Thank you for your understanding.