Friday, August 25, 2006

Where to learn Quanzhen meditation

A reader has written to ask me to teach him or her, Quanzhen meditation. This entry serves as an open letter to the reader and others who may have interest to learn the particular type of meditation.

If one has not been clear enough in previous entries, please let me set the record straight. While one may know a thing or two about Quanzhen meditation, and its various similarities with my self taught neidan practice, I am not Quanzhen and have never claimed to be a disciple. As one understands it, only neidan adepts and the Quanzhen immortals are allowed to teach the various methods of meditation to their disciples. Quanzhen is quite strict on this. Even elders of Quanzhen temples may not be allowed to teach meditation.

Therefore for those who are earnest and sincere to learn the meditation, they have to seek entry to a Quanzhen temple and gain acceptance by a Daoist immortal to become a disciple. And go from there.

While there are already some Quanzhen temples in Europe and in the UK, they have yet to accept non Chinese as disciples because of the lack of various facilities (which include the interpretation, translation and transmission of messages through the planchette).

Over the years, my Quanzhen friend has asked if there are many Western Daoists who are sincere and earnest to learn Tao, and my answer has always been in the positive. He still wants to gauge if it is worthwhile to set up the facilities to accept Western Daoists.

Meanwhile those interested Western Daoists who have affinity with Quanzhen immortals will have to wait until the temples are open to them or they can go to a Quanzhen temple in China to become a disciple, like some in the West have done, if they so wish.

For your information and just in case Daoist readers feel upset about the exclusiveness of Quanzhen, even if one were to visit my friend’s temple, I have to first seek his permission. The Quanzhen temples in Malaysia and Europe under his care are not open to the general public or to any Daoist.

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