OTHER TAOIST PROGRAMS
Seasonal Tea Appreciation
& Taoist Qigong
with Michael Busby
For Tea Appreciation and Qigong sessions, please see the dates on the PROGRAM SCHEDULE.
Enjoy a glimpse of the Taoist way of living in harmony with the seasons in this leisurely day of practice. We’ll wander free-and-easy through autumn with seasonal tea appreciation, supported by the Taoist qigong of the Limitless Gate Lineage, Xiantienwujimen.
Being drawn in by a delicious cup of evocative tea provides a gateway into practices of awareness, health, seasonal living, and ritual/aesthetics. We’ll explore each of these areas, as we experience first-hand what it's like to slow down with tea and qigong, and live at the tempo of the seasons.
About Michel Busby:
Tea Peddler and Animateur by trade — I live a contemplative life in Forestville, California, by redwoods and not too far from ocean waves. I enjoy wandering to share seasonal tea under the banner of my tea company Via Tiempo, and teaching the health promoting practices of qigong under the guidance of Dr. Eva Wong, 19th-generation lineage carrier of Xiantianwujimen Taoism (Pre-celestial Limitless Gate School of Taoism) and 3rd-generation student of Wang Xiangzhai, founder of Yiquan. I’ve been studying with Eva Wong since 2009.
2025
With Eva Wong
Sociedade Taoísta SP; São Paulo - Brazil
January 13, 2025
Yi means “change”. Jing means “path”, or “way”. Yi and Jing together means the Way of Changes. The Yijing system of divination is founded on observing phenomena in the skies, scrutinizing changes in the earth, and understanding interactions in human society.
The Divination Classic Yijing (I Ching) consists of several texts. The most well-known is the Zhouyi of King Wen that describes the 64 hexagrams. More hidden in the Yijing are two obscure texts Gua Xiang Zhuan (Hexagram Images) and Ju Gua Zhuan (Hexagram Sequence). The Gua Xiang Zhuan is a text of divination that uses the images of each of the 64 hexagrams to read omens. The Ju Guan Zhuan is a text that organizes the 64 hexagrams into a coherent cosmology of the principle of Change.
To penetrate the mysteries of the Universe, understand the human condition, and learn how to live in an ever-fluctuating stream of changes that is part of existence - this is the legacy of the Divination Arts of China.
For the first time, the two hidden sections of the Yijing - the Gua Xiang Zhuan and the Ju Gua Zhuan have been translated by Eva Wong, and will be presented in this program.
Join Eva in exploring the philosophy that gave birth to one of the most powerful divination systems of China and learn the oldest form of divination - the omen reading technique of the Gua Xiang Zhuan of the Yijing.
Eva Wong is a Taoist scholar and a translator of over 17 Chinese classics. She is currently writing a book on Strategy in the Yijing.
No requirements. However, participants are encourage to have a familiarity with trigrams and hexagrams.
2025
With Eva Wong
Sociedade Taoísta SP; São Paulo - Brazil
January 13, 2025
Meditation is an integral part of Daoist practice. The dual cultivation of body and consciousness form the core of Xiantianwujimen Daoism. Internal alchemy, the
cultivation of the physical and energetic body, builds the foundation of the cultivation of consciousness. Meditation, the cultivation of the limitless nature of consciousness, provides a vessel that is optimal and safe for the alchemical transmutation of life energy, or qi.
In Daoist teachings, it is said that qi feeds whatever arises in consciousness. What arises - be it anger, kindness, fear, envy, generosity, and even wisdom - are all intensified by qi. It is therefore important for us not just to cultivate qi, but to be aware of what is arising in our consciousness every moment. Meditation is the technique that can help us become aware of what arises, understand how thoughts and feelings emerge,
and show us how to protect qi from being drained by destructive attitudes and emotions.
Since thoughts and emotions can arise in diverse circumstances and in different degrees of solidity, the Daoist spiritual traditions have developed many methods of meditation to engage them.
Meeting negative arisings in our consciousness is like going into battle. We need to meet our thoughts intelligently. Embrace the thoughts can help you approach the Dao. Distance thoughts that lead you away from the Dao. And ignore thoughts that are distracting you from your path to the Dao.
This requires us to engage our thoughts intelligently, forging good relationships with wisdom, compassion, kindness, generosity, courage, and fortitude while distancing ourselves from thoughts that destroy ourselves, others, the earth, and humanity.
No requirements.
Karme Choling, Barnet Vermont USA
Look up at the clear night sky and we will see a myriad of lights against the darkness of the mysterious Void. We see the order of the constellations and the chaos of galactic dust. We see the waxing and waning moon, a reminder that all things must come and go and that change is an inherent part of the universe. We see the yin of darkness, chaos, and concealment. We see the yang of light, order, and growth. Look at the night sky, and you will see the Tao.
Taoism is a star culture. The stars are the abodes of celestial spirits that guide, bless, and protect us. They also hold the secrets of our destiny. Understand the patterns of the night sky, and we will understand ourselves and our place in the world.
In this program, you will be introduced to the most important constellations in the Taoist sky and their relevance to our lives:
- The four guardian animals constellations - the Green Dragon, White Tiger, Red Phoenix, and Black Tortoise
- The Seven Stars of the Dipper and the North Pole Star
- The Six Stars of the Southern Pivot
- The Grand Duke (Tai Sui), which is the planet Jupiter.
In the Taoist sky, the celestial spirits of the four Guardian Animals protect our habitat and guide our thoughts and actions. The Seven Stars of the Dipper bless our life force and are patrons of our careers. The Six Stars of the Southern Pivot protect us from catastrophes. The Grand Duke rules over our fortunes as we move through each year. The North Pole Star is the reference of a life of stillness in the center of the movement of the celestial web of constellations.
The stars also hold the secrets of our destiny. In this program, you will get a glimpse of how astronomy and Taoist astrology are integrated to chart the path of our destiny in the world of work, home, family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers.
Come and learn how to understand and live under the Taoist skies of guides, protectors, patrons, and keepers of the secrets of our destiny.
Come and experience a special Taoist star-lighting ceremony.
The Taoist sky and its mystery are waiting for you.
No requirements
Enjoy Being Yourself With Taoist Mediation -
Sky Lake Shambhala Ctr. Rosendale, NY. USA.
Have you ever wondered what happens when you are alone with yourself? Thoughts arise.
Being alone with yourself is the best time to experience the totality of your inner world of thoughts and be at one with consciousness. There’s no better time to enjoy being yourself during meditation. Consciousness never
ceases to be interesting, and it is streaming all the time.
In the Taoist path, meditation is meant to be enjoyed. It’s not just about achieving goals of what meditation can do for you. If your goal is to “get your head together”, “relax and reduce stress”, or even understand the nature of thoughts, once you’ve accomplished these goals, you’ll stop meditating.
When all is said and done, the reason why we meditate comes down to “I like it”. If you enjoy meditation, you will continue to do it for the rest of your life. Using the tools of Taoist Meditation, here’s what we’ll do in our two days together:
- Wake up consciousness by tuning it to sights, sounds, taste, smells, and touch.
- Guide it toward balance and harmony.
- Nourish it with curiosity.
- Understand it by exploring its inner workings.
- Appreciate it by following its creative stream.
- Enjoy it by playing with it.
- Celebrate it by being awed by its vastness.
- Use it as an instrument for good.
We arise fresh every moment. Delight in the richness of your consciousness. Be at one with its coming and going. Immerse yourself in its vastness.
THIS IS MEDITATION.
No requirements