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Daily Taoist 1_58 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #33b about Self-Awareness and the Subconscious Mind #2

May 9, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 58 #33b

Alright. I’m back. And this is 33. And 33 has been broken up into an a-b-c-d… A-B-C-D. Four pieces. Four pages of questions just on one thing from Lao Tzu. For one little paragraph. One of his 80 wisdoms. Okay, so #33a was about understanding yourself and other people. That takes a lot of work.

#33b:

It requires more strength to master one’s own will
than to control someone else’s.

Hey, The Daily Taoist here, Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang reading from the TAO OF TAOISM.

And yes, I’m on #33b of the 40 ones we’re gonna read here. About 40 of them I wrote in the Tao Of Taoism.

And #33b is talking about obviously,

It requires more strength
to master one’s own will
than to control someone else’s.

25% is– I can give a great example of that. When I come out here sometimes at night and I want a late night snack. And I have to use my self- My… will. To not do it. And I’ve been faring good. For a while I wasn’t. I was only about a 25% success. [LAUGHS] Now I’m at a 75% success. And the 25% I sometimes–isn’t even a mistake. I’ll realize, well if I’m going to eat now I’ll just stay up for another hour or two and I’m not going to go right to bed. So I kind of rationalize it slightly. Which has actually worked out really good because I’ve gotten some really good late night work done lately. So I think that snack really empowered me. I was both really hungry and tired. So anyway, But normally… But then once again I’m rationalizing. But being able to control myself and stop myself from that is harder than it would be for me to say, “You’re not allowed to do that.” And send my kid back to bed.

So it’s easy to enforce someone else and control someone else than actually control yourself. That to me is a good example of that.

Okay. So. Let’s see. In fact it says right now, Explain this. That’s the first one and I just explained it. So that’s my explanation of it. You explain it.

It requires more strength to master one’s own will than to control someone else’s.

Now you put it in your context. You talk about something that’s difficult for you to do than how it would be easier to do it for someone else. Okay?

How do you control other people? And why?

That’s an interesting question. There’s so many infinite answers…. But maybe you control them as a business manager.

Or why are you controlling them? “Because someone told you to?” Why did you actually choose that job to be? Keep asking the WHYs… Keep asking well why’d you do that? Well WHY did you become a manager? Why’d you do that? Why do you? Why’d you go to school to become a manager? Why’d you know going to school to be a manager–? Keep those WHYS going.

I used to get in trouble. When I was a kid. Because the cows. The common man hates the “Why?” Because it makes you have to think.

So c’mon. Warm up that engine and start moving it. Get the WHYs going. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why————– [LAUGHS] It’s an engine. Okay?

Less Control = More Control?

How could you get just as much by controlling less?

How could you get just as much OR MORE by controlling less?

Now this is something I wish I’d mastered better as a parent. I was so busy doing so many things. If I could’ve just been a full-time parent without trying to run a Kung Fu school, write my books, record albums and even have a wife relationship. If I could’ve taken several of those things out of the mix I could’ve done a little better… at controlling my life. But, okay.

How do you control other people?

How could you get just as much by controlling less?

Now that’s what I was getting at. Is with my kids: is that sometimes it’s just easier to control… by like, “Don’t do that.” Or better– but control for me was not just trying to draw limits. I was trying to train my kids to do things. Teach them more. So that’s what I was really to get at when I saw that , “controlling less.” I… kept such an eye and I was so much there that I– as a teacher: I really should’ve given my kids, students, my kids as students: more of their own time to explore the lessons. That’s why the people I– to an extent–it drove people nuts.

I’d send my daughter off to the canyon by herself. “Oh you can go hike. Just come back in two hours.” You know. I’d be nervous for two hours. But still– I gave her adventure time. You’ve gotta give– You have to let them out of your control to a certain extent so they can develop certain abilities. And I wish I’d done it more. I wish I’d had even less control over my kids. Because I was there so much. All day long, 24/7. You know, raising my kids. So it would’ve been nice if I’d been there less. Even being the great father. They never saw me as the father. I was always the daycare worker. And Shifu. That was the only time I could be father. In fact, my daughter I remember…Anyway.

Here we go.

How could you get as much by controlling less?

If you set all those you control free–which would return and why?

Back to my kids. If I set my kids free–why would they return?

Well, they wouldn’t return for the music. They wouldn’t return for the Kung Fu. They wouldn’t return to be creative writers. They wouldn’t return because they wanted to help me with my television shows. Or be actors, or even in production, because i had them on the cameras at the cable TV show. And they’d be shooting cameras and helping me out and stuff too.

So they had opportunities to see if they had attitudes or acumen for any of these things.

So they wouldn’t come back to me for that. They wouldn’t come back to me for the singing and the music. I said that maybe already. So the only reason my kids would ever come back to me is for food and shelter. So that’s why we had a great relationship for fifteen years is because I supplied them food and shelter.

But the moment I didn’t supply them food and shelter anymore–I never saw them again.

Controlling the Subconscious Mind is Negotiation

How do you control your subconscious mind?

I told you… I… have a relationship with mine. I have a friendship. It’s like, “What do you want to do?” [LAUGHS] Well, how about you? Are you aware of your subconscious mind? Are you aware of the that: when you watch a scary movie it’s your subconscious mind watching it. Then you get scared and your conscious mind goes, “It’s just a movie.” Yeah, that’s one of the separations of the conscious and the Subconscious.

The subconsious believes everything. My subconscious, because like I said, I’m so empowered: I’m very very gullible. You know I’m– And I like to think that I’m always in an environment where I can trust information. And certain people have said things to me over the years that were wrong. Gosh. Just poisoned my mind. Because I’m gullible I believed it. You know I honest believed their B.S.

I think some of them even said some B.S. they thought was so B.S. that they thought I wouldn’t believe it. But I’m so gullible, I believed it. Then I find out later it’s untrue. And it kind of harmed my — a few perspectives I had in the meantime.

So yeah. Even smart people are gullible. We believe stuff. It’s my subconscious, so– [sigh]

Where we at now? Six minutes. Okay.

How could we get just as much by controlling less.

If you set them free — how do you control…?

What happens without these controls? If you don’t control your subconscious mind?

Well, like I said, I’m learning a lot since I wrote this book. Maybe 60 or 80% of the people in this world don’t control their subconscious mind. I don’t know. This is something I don’t really know.

So I’m not gonna tell you what’s going on there. I just know that when I get students. You know. I get them to have a nice relationship. Because your subscious mind is required to be a Kung Fu master. You cannot be a– You cannot do Kung Fu without your subconscious becoming a part of it. And so that relationship between your subconscious and conscious gets really powerful if you continue with the Kung Fu. Because they’re both empowered. And they both become very powerful. And they realize what they can do with exercise, practice, focus, learning, information. So the subconscious and the conscious just…when you become a kung Fu master–it’s like you get kind of– You go through a cocky period. [LAUGHS] Like that motorcycle.

Okay. Where were we.

Controlling the Conscious Mind is Self-Control

How do you control your conscious mind?

So your conscious mind. See? Now that’s a problem.

I’ve got a– I know somebody who’s got a, I think– I would call it a severe mental problem. Because his relationship with his subconscious mind and his conscious mind is horrible. His subconscious mind rules the show. So people think he’s retarded when he talks like a child. And he says really childish baby things. That’s because he let’s his subconscious talk. The subconscious mind is supposed to tell the conscious mind what to say. Or the subconscious mind is supposed to actually know what you– Tell you — I know you feel that way.

Let’s put it this way. The conscious mind is always supposed to communicate. You never let the subconscious mind communicate directly with other people. But this guy does. And that’s what makes him seem like he’s retarded. This thing comes out and really starts saying stupid childish things… And then you have to talk to him as if he’s a child. That’s a weird case but it really illuminated to me– I’d never seen that–so dramatically. Or at least been aware of that so dramatically until recently. Anyway. [SIGH]

What is Motivation Beyond Biological Needs?

Explain your self-motivation.

Explain YOUR self-motivation.

Let’s leave it at that. And that’s a very important question. And that’s a very important answer.

You put that down. And don’t say anything you’re supposed to, or anything rehearsed, memorized.

Explain YOUR self-motivation.

I’m gonna leave it at that.

How do you motivate yourself when you don’t want to do something?

I think I gave an example of that recently a minute ago.

That’s when you DON’T want to do something: How do you motivate yourself?

We all have to trick ourselves, talk ourselves into or… I’ve got all kinds of– actually things that I do.

What do you do?

Okay? What’s in your subconscious?

Okay. Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang. We’re breaking down #33b. That’s a tough one.

That’s talking about mastering your own will and controlling other people.

The first part was understanding yourself and understanding other people.

The third part is going to be about self-contentment. Opinions and… this is going to be interesting.

It looks like it’s going to add chaos to it.

Alright. Getting out of here. The Daily Taoist Buddha Zhen here. Reading from the TAO OF TAOISM.

That was #33b of what I’m saying is the Dao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. My interpretation.

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Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com

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Facebook of Bu ddha Zhen

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_56 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #32b Musicians should not be Soldiers, Fences create Chaos

April 25, 2024 / 5 Soul Theory, Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 56 #32b.

Okay. I went and put some cold water on my face. Because I got all emotional in the last one. I read a book when I was a kid. I think 4th grade. Called FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON. And there is a great movie that really told the story well called, “Charlie.” Anyway, that’s always shook me up.

But you see, that’s part of my life problem, is all my life I’ve known that I was smarter than everybody else–but I always thought everybody could be like me. I just thought that I had some sort of extra kickstart, or good edge or–you know. I… But somehow I didn’t think of myself as different. I kept trying to blend with the common man.

Okay, yeah… I seem to have an edge on you– But… Let’s be friends. But no. There’s definitely something different about me. And now I’m 66 years old and I’m finally accepting that. But, I’ve been trying to be a common man who’s just smarter. A common man who is a good musician. A common man who did Kung Fu. I didn’t realize I was so different. That I was not the common man at all. Well, I don’t know about not at all. Definitely blended in for a– That’s because I put it in the fourth position down here. I put that WORKER in. So anyway–

#32b. This is me. The Daily Taoist here. Got you your Daily Taoism. I’m trying to figure out how this is going to work. If this doesn’t work. I’m not sure. But I’m gonna give you about forty or fifty of these things. And see if they take off. If people like them, I’d love to keep doing them. Because as you can see: this information is inspiring for me. And I wrote it to be inspiring for you. And if we have something that works… we have a Tao going here.

I’d be willing to support this Tao. But I can’t support a Tao that’s like a seed that’s not gonna ever grow. That’s a dead seed you know. And that’s part of Taoism–I don’t think it’s in this part. It might be in the next part. I don’t remember seeing this one. But there’s a few things about seeds, and planting, and growing that are really interesting in the second half. Which I used to think about in Utah.

When I moved to Utah it talked about don’t plant a seed in the sand. You know, you have to plant it where there’s going to be water, and dirt or whatever… The point is, when I moved to Utah I realized, “Well hold it. I think I’m planting my seed in the sand. This isn’t working. Nothing’s gonna grow here.” So my life in Utah: I had to like take my dreams and put them in a little box. Then raise my kids and. I did do my Kung Fu. I did all kinds of interesting stuff. It is interesting how I did do that, but I had to totally flip my life upside-down. And then… So–

Where were we? #32b. Let’s get on here. This is the TAO OF TAOISM by me. Talking about– and Bear came back. After I went he just wanted to get back on my lap again. [LAUGHS] Actually, he was in the chair. And I couldn’t get him out. So I picked him up. Well, he wanted to be here, so… Okay. [LAUGHS] “Hello Bear.”

Like I said, I decided to relish your distractions. It’s not like he distracts me a lot. You add it up and it’s maybe less than an hour a day. So– An hour a day of love. Maybe we should have like a 30-minute minimum of love every day. That you get from some source.

#32b.

All things and all–

But I was trying to say about the FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON, I always thought that everybody was the same. And that led me astray in trying to do business relationships, partner relationships, working with other musicians–not realizing that some people would never be a real musician. I could recognize the talent. I could realize this guy’s capable of doing what I want, you know, type of thing. But I didn’t realize there was a MUSICIAN soul. There’s an actual soul. You have to be born with it. If you don’t got–you don’t got it.

That doesn’t mean you can’t learn music. You can just be a person who learns to play music. That’s fine. And then you call yourself a musician. But a real MUSICIAN, he’s born that way. Got a certain drive to get that music out of him. It’s different. I–It’s probably impossible for you to understand unless you’re a MUSICIAN. [LAUGHS] Because my dad doesn’t even understand. I’ve been a MUSICIAN for 66 years and my family still does not accept it. They don’t see it. They don’t understand it. So if your own brothers, and sisters and parents can’t understand what a MUSICIAN is– Obviously: nobody can.

So that’s why us MUSICIANS, we’re all dead. We’re a rare breed now. We’ve been siphoned off or SENT TO WAR. Gotta remember, you send them off to war. Give us PTSD and we’re burned. We’re damaged. We’re damaged goods. All our philosophy and our music… And everything’s gonna have THAT in it. That’s good if you want to write war stories from a regretful position and have this kind of dark slant on it. Which has its point in life, but I think we should just eliminate the whole thing: the wars, the people with the PTSD and everything. I think its all a mistake.

The point is that sending– I think– This is a hypothesis of mine: (Remember, I’m new to this whole “5 SOUL THEORY.”) But if you take an artist like me, and send us over to war. And then we come back: All of THAT is in our brains for the rest of our life. For the rest of my life I remember everything. My kid, my childhood, my kids, my teenage years, all the different girls I’ve been with… I can remember little bits of all the different girls I’ve been with, and everything…You know. But to have THAT stuck in my brain. And remember, when I’ve talked to soldiers. Real soldiers. People who’ve been in real combat… They’ve got regret. We don’t like killing people. Doesn’t matter how much you pay us. We don’t like killing people. It’s a shame some people don’t realize that until it’s too late.

Okay. Here we go. All– #32b.

All things and all persons
must integrate freely with Nature and each other.

FREELY. Freely. That means you don’t have to worry about getting shot while you’re intermixing and going from one place to another. You need to intermix. So anything–you’re shooting somebody–you’re against The Tao right there. You’ve already broken this rule. All things and all persons must integrate freely. Shooting them for integrating–you’re–you’re– you’re evil. You are evil. Okay?

Boundaries, fences– These are things that Trump loves. Let’s see where this line goes. I didn’t read this ahead. I don’t know.

Boundaries, fences, and any lines drawn
that are meant to separate
one part of Nature from another
will only frustrate Nature’s activities
into a reactionary chaos
that is equal to
the amount of control imposed upon Nature.

That’s that Spock thing again. [Star Trek] Remember that balance that he mentioned about. Being right and wrong. But this is about Nature. The Nature now.

They’re saying– okay– So: The more you put fences and boundaries and separate Nature and its activities and everything like that– Umm –You’re frustrating Nature.

So the amount of effort you put into building these walls and everything is the amount that Nature resents you. So the bigger the walls, the thicker the walls, the higher the walls.. the more Nature dislikes you. That’s really what it’s saying. [LAUGHS] Okay.

Everybody should be able to move freely remember. Anytime you put a wall up you’re defeating Nature. The animals have to go over there for their food. You put a wall: “Hey! Where am I going for my food? The water’s over there.”

You know, the stream. Every wall affects Nature. The way the wind blows. Maybe those seeds needed to blow over here. Maybe the bees can’t fly high enough to get over the wall to fertilize those flowers. So… Anytime we interfere with Nature… we affect it. So maybe.. We’re never going to know all the affects. It’s impossible. Well I don’t know the affects of all the bugs and things. We impact Nature. Everything we do. Okay.

Explain your material possession quest. [LAUGHS]

Seriously. Explain your material possession quest.

Everybody’s gotta want something. If you’re an American you’re trained and ingrained and bred to buy. But what do you want to get?

Me? I want I want more music equipment. Photography equipment. I need storage. I need webspace. I need designers. I need researchers. Anyway. I would just do what I’m doing–professionally. That’s what my material possessions are going to– enable me to be more enabled.

Explain your power quest.

My power quest. My power would be of course to remain in control and move this forward. Like raising a kid. The power to raise a kid. You don’t just say, “I hope he lives.” No. You exercise a power to exert, to protect that child, and raise him up and influence him. Buy this, and take him this, and give him this. So you use your power to raise him.

So that’s whay my power is. I want to raise my companies and get everything done. I’ve done it to some kids. And I’ve done buildings. And I’ve built all kinds of things. I want to build this, this media empire that I’ve got. Because I want to make videos. I’m gonna make albums. I’m gonna make books. I’m gonna do curriculums. I’m gonna have Kung Fu programs. I’m gonna… You know. And.. so… and the internet. The web shows. The radio stations. That’s how… so anyway. That’s what– That’s me. And I’m doing it all myself right now. Everything I just mentioned I’m actually doing. I’d just do it bigger and better. If I had more money. And more POWER!!!

Okay. Here we go.

Explain how you protect your belongings and power.

Well I’ve been homeless for six years man. That’s been more difficult than I even want to even tell you about. So let’s just go on. How about YOU? You. How do you protect your possessions… your belongings? And protect your power? What do you do?

But my story’s in my books. Get my poetry books from the last few years. Stories about being homeless. That explains everything. That answers that question very very well. In fact, it’ll answer it for me too. I want to know what I did. I’m moving forward. I don’t like looking back. My looking back is not that motivating even, for me.

Going forward is kind of like swimming through the seaweed. You know. I don’t want to look to see how much seaweed I’ve swam through. I only want to look at what’s ahead and I want to see where the shore is. And I wanna just keep going.

Awwwch. Okay. This is like I said, setting you up. But it’s important. We all need to say this.

Explain your patriotism.

Explain your team spirit.

[to Bear the cat] “Alright. See ya later buddy.” Gotta get all the hair off. [huff huff] I eat so much hair. It’s on my pillow even. I… probably have more hairballs go through me than– Not as much as a cat. But close.

Here we go.

Explain your patriotism. Explain it.

Explain your team spirit.

Now that’s something that– I’ve really been surprised. Because I was raised in a world of sports. So a lot of you millennials may not even know what team spirit is. Well actually, everybody’s gotta know it to some extent. Your family’s a team. Every– There’s teams– A real team spirit is something you have to have a team for. You have to work together. You have to have a goal. You have to lose. You have to suffer. You have to pull each other through. You have to get there. And you have to get to the end–whatever that is. And boom. That… process of getting together, being together, working together, failing together–it can’t always go good. Succeeding, failing, and hurting and helping and then getting here. That– You have to go through that to know what team spirit is. Because you develop your team spirit by being able to do that again.

Once you’ve done it once. Then you know what team spirit is. And then you can do it better.

Nobody’s going to be good at what they’re ignorant at the first time going through. But you get through that: now you’re aware of what team spirit is. So you’ve got to do it again and get better at it. Now if other people get better at it and then you actually get a better team. See? Because you have to help the team be good. If you’re a crappy team member–you’re just making the rest of the team crappy. Because that’s your motivation: Is just be crappy. Because you’re crappy. [LAUGHS]

So you’ve gotta get better. So it’s an evolving process. So team spirit requires a whole bunch of those things. And you do that a few times as you’re growing up in school in baseball teams, football teams, or in my case I liked being in rock bands. You know, that’s a team spirit to be in that rock band.

But you have to develop it. You have to be in those team situations. And if you haven’t been in those situations that require team spirit you’re just ignorant. You know, you’re just a worker. You’re just somebody who’s been hiding in their house their whole life. And that’s a shame. You know… I’m SORRY –AAAHHH! I take that back. I’m gonna back pedal. I don’t shame people. And it’s only a shame to somebody… That’s a response. It’s not a shame. You are who you are. Remember? This is The Tao. And I cannot shame anybody for having a different TAO than me. Or even going against the Tao.

My goal is not to shame you. It’s to make you aware of it. So if you say, “Oh. Really? I was doing this when I should’ve been doing that? Well now I know.”

Okay? Now the shame is: you don’t want to actually improve your life. Or do the right thing at that point. I think is a little shameful. In terms of your reputation: you’re shaming yourself. But I’m not going to shame you. And I think shaming is wrong. Because remember? That’s punishing. That means you’re trying to apply punishment. They deserve the consequences. That’s what shaming is. It’s punishing. So that’s not my job. Even if it was my job: I wound’t take it. [LAUGHS] I don’t want that job. That’s the wrong job to have.

Okay. I like to make people better. And shaming doesn’t make people better. It doesn’t.

Okay. Where were we? How many minutes we got? THIRTEEN? I’ve gotta totally blast. There’s no way! No way I can get through this. Am I on the wrong thing? Oh good. I was on the wrong page. Okay. Here we go.

Explain your immigration concepts.

Hey remember? I wrote this back in–twenty thirty years ago. Immigration’s become a hot topic.

Explain your beliefs on foreign trade and free help, duties, customs, and labor laws.

Wow! I mean these are hot topics. I would never have guessed. I’m surprised I even mentioned them. But these things are good to know and think about.

Describe a world of no countries.

Read that one more time and I’ve gotta go.

Describe a world of NO COUNTRIES.

Alright. Buddha Zhen here. Actually in lockdown in California. In Lancaster, California. So–

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Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_54 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO#31c – Right Side Yang Seeks Control to Balance Yin

April 11, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

TAO #31c

The right side of our body is a yang/male polarity

that will extend itself for control.

By positioning the right/yang side to a yin side:

control is attained by balance.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Alright. I’m back again, THE Daily Tao. THE Daily Taoist. The Tao of The Daily.

[LAUGHS]. Anyway, Zhen Shen-Lang here. Tao of Taoism. Reading to you the BOOK OF CHANGES. Dao Te Ching written by Lao Tzu.

And now last time we talked about the female side of the body.

This is #31c.

So this will finish NUMBER 31.

You know we talked about victory lust parades. Military Yin and Yang. And putting the whole thing together.

So Yin and Yang creates trust or war. It’s kind of what we’ve already sort of packaged this whole thing together. If you can have Yin and Yang like this then you have friendship.

If you have Yin and Yang where you’re just fighting… you know right fist against right fist… then you’ve got a war.

So that’s what we’ve got to learn is: we’ve got to learn how to somebody— somebody’s gotta sometimes be the feminine in order to be a friend

Okay so I think that’s— there’s all kinds of things to be just saying. But you need that balance. You know, friendship isn’t two guys… well my arm’s as strong as you ever… that total competition.

At some point each of you need to acquiesce to the other for some reason.

Okay. But for harmony — for TAO. #31C.

THE RIGHT SIDE OUR BODY
IS A YANG MALE POLARITY
THAT WILL EXTEND ITSELF FOR CONTROL.

Now remember the other one was it would only… it was extend itself in friendship. If they had trust. Control and trust. Control and Trust.. And there you have it.

Yeah, that’s our Shaolin salute by the way. That’s not the reason we do it, but you see all these things are kind of embodied.

You see. Life has its harmonies. And you realize when you’re in the Tao sometimes.

Okay. Here we go back. Go back to the right side.

The right side is controlled by positioning the right Yang side to a Yin side.

Remember, the Yin? Somebody says hey you’re really cool and I want to hang out with you. You know they come over to this side. Okay,

BY POSITIONING THE RIGHT YANG SIDE
TO A YIN SIDE, CONTROL IS ATTAINED
BY BALANCE.

Over here was by trust. Friendship is balanced by trust. So she’s thinking, I’m willing to be here because I trust him. And he says, I’m willing to let you be there because this is balance.

We have a balance now. If she was creating an imbalance, he wouldn’t want her there.

But the point is: that if you gotta have balance. So he sees it as a balance. She sees it as friendship or partnership.

Okay? So that’s just a perspective of the two Yins and Yangs.

Remember, we’re about the Tao. All Tao is a matter of perspectives remember?

All the souls have perspectives. The Yang has a different perspective than the Yin. And so you’ve got to look at it that way. And we all have Yang and Yins in us. So we have to— or Ying and Yang. We have to figure out how to come to terms with the Yin or Yang that’s in us.

Okay, except it. You’ve got to deal with it. Make something out of it. Okay.

So where were we?

We’re on “c.” Wasn’t it 31c?

There it is:

Describe what you desire of people.

Describe what you desire of people.

I actually just wrote a list and put it on my board.

I did it in small handwriting, so I have to get in there and, “What did I write?”

But it says, “What do I want out of people?” Because I’m not looking for sex. I’m not looking for a pretty girl, or pretty face, or somebody to cook. I’m not looking for those things in people.

I’m looking for people that are maybe in the movie business, or the animators,or maybe even a record producer or something.

I’m looking for people to be friends that are going to benefit my future, and then I can benefit them. I can supply them something that’ll make their future better too.

So anyway, describe what people you want, what you desire of people.

Okay.

What do you look for in people to further your goals?

Remember, that’s what I just said.

So what do you need… to meet people you know.

We can meet people all the time… but have more of a purpose. I confess I—

That’s part of the reason I know people so well is I have just accepted everybody equally and then tried to figure out how to fit them into my life — instead of looking for the natural talents, and then just be more of a talent scout.

What do you avoid in people to minimize conflict and competition?

What did you look for in people so as to avoid, minimize that conflict and competition?

So what are you?

Yeah. What are you?

What’s your answer?

Describe the common aspects of your best relationships.

So look back over all your friendships: male and female.

And what were the best things that connected them together?

When you were happy?

They were happy?

What was the kind of things holding that together?

How do you utilize your Yin female side to gain control?

How do you use your submissive side to gain control?

How do you utilize your male and female sides to maintain control?

So now I’m saying both together, but anyway… they’re different.

Okay. So like I said, the one hand wants balance.

It’s gonna build something that’s balanced. Okay?

The other one’s Yin. It’s softer. It’s not as strong.

It’s just looking for a comfortable place it can feel happy.

So one’s willing to put in some work and the other’s willing to relax. Yin and Yang.

So explain your male/female emotional balance.

Hey, can you jump into that?

Explain your male/female emotional balance.

So are you aware of how you have female thinking versus male thinking?

And I remember I used to only think in the sexes — is immaterial. The environmental thing. The Darwinian programming.

But now I realize there’s the Soul thing. So that’s all adds a whole other dimension to looking at this behavioral thing. So now I’ve got to back up and see it from a bigger picture.

But how do you explain your male/female emotional balance?

Explain your male/female mental balance.

Okay. So remember, you have an emotional balance you know.

How you react to things and how long you stay pissed off.

Or if you ever get pissed off or happy, or how excited do you get?

That’s your emotional balance.

Your mental balance: that’s how well you learn and retain and feel good about you know being competent. And staying and I don’t know… just being smart. Just learning. Okay?

Explain your male/female physical balance.

So there you’ve got that physical about how much he wants to work.

How much she wants to relax.

So what’s your kind of balance: male and physical — male and female in terms of your physical part of your balance…

How masculine… how masculine do you walk?

When and why does it change?

In other words, when you walk, do you walk in a masculine way or do you walk in a feminine way?

Oh I’ve spent a lot of time practicing. Because I was at the… you locked me in a box with a whole bunch of people and as far as I’m concerned you got me with a whole bunch of test subjects.

When I was in that shelter for a year. I started like trying to study some of the behavior… and one of the most interesting parts of it was trying to imitate the female walk.

So a lot of women were walking… and you can tell a feminine walk from a male walk. And so I was trying to figure out what it was.

I was just out in the street. It was probably… so many people driving by… They must have thought I was pretty kooky — because I’m sure I couldn’t… I could not get it natural. I was trying to. I was trying to.

But anyway, and some women just really have walks you know… where they really forcibly turn their hips and and I had to watch their feet. So I did the whole Kung Fu of it down. How far are their feet… Are they walking? Are they crossing? What’s the footwork? Okay. How much is the heel? And then I had to put all this together.

It was a lot of work. A woman works very very hard, to in other words, make that female thing happen. So it made me kind of wonder how much there’s other things going on to motivate all this.

So we can get into all of that later.

But anyway, the masculine walk. So I came to realize that the feminine walk is you know it’s like a flower you know you. Could be a thousand feet away and you’re gonna be able to recognize a woman walking different than a man walking. It’s just like— it’s a beaming light and a light flashing.

[LAUGHS] A sign to attract the bees. But anyway, but it was interesting.

And so anyway, let’s get to the reasonings and the Darwinian stuff we can talk about another time. But it was interesting. And I was looking at the behavior and of how they are interacting and how it’s affecting the relationships.

And the walks: the male and the female… And it was the whole thing. And I used— When I was exiled in Canada. When I lived in Canada, I actually turned on the TV one night to watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus and I saw the “Funny Walk” thing. I actually saw it I think the date that it was broadcast on the CBC the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation when I was living in Newfoundland.

And so when that “Funny Walk” show, which is I guess a classic. I actually was sitting in front of a television in St. John’s, Newfoundland watching that show. And it cracked me up. A couple of their shows did.

But they were just so kooky I couldn’t… but there wasn’t any television I didn’t watch much.

I play guitar you know. Even just listening through headphones. She had a great stereo system and she had great records. She was really into— Sally, she had a great record collection, and she always got everything right then. That’s why I had all the current records and I didn’t— You know— Now I realize when I look.

When did that record come out? Now I really amazed like, wow. I had all this stuff right then when it was being released. And that stuff, it was really great in the headphones and I was in — you know…

How feminine do you walk? When and why?

So you had the masculine and this goes for women too.

And I’ve— now me, I find the women who walk masculine are very attractive. And I’m trying to figure that out. And I’ve seen them in high heels. I’ll see a woman in high heels. So I think it looks sexy but you know it must have a feminine walk… but no. She would walk just in just a really like assertive way. And I was like… and with the high heels and boots you know… it’s like, wow, now that’s attractive you know.

But the masculinity of it actually attracts, attracts me… because I guess I’m not a reproductive thing you know. I don’t have as much reproductive— well actually I think… But not anymore anyway. [LAUGHS]

I’m not as attracted to the feminine walk as much as the masculine woman walk. It was— I find that to be much more. I guess it’s empowering too. Because I like women who can do Kung Fu. I’m really looking for a—

I don’t want somebody who’s gonna go, “oh that’s too hard.” That one girl who’s gonna go, “Let’s do it again!”

“Oh, okay.”

I’m talking about exercise.

All right, so how feminine do you walk?

When and why?

We’re at 10 minutes.

My suggestions.

And that was #31C.

That completes #31.

And to actually wrap up #31C,

NUMBER #31B was

The left side of our body is a Yin female polarity
that will only extend itself in friendship
when we trust one another.
By offering our left Yin side in friendship —

and this can be a weapon, but we’re talking about it… we see everything from the big picture.

By offering our left Yin side in friendship,
we stand alongside the right Yang side of our friend.

So if you want to turn someone into a friend this is how you do it. Okay, you can’t force it.

You do it. This is the harmonious and Tao way.

Friendship is balanced by trust. Okay?

So you have to be trustworthy too – that’s why marriages don’t work. They can’t trust each other.

#31A to round out this whole #31:

The celebration of victory and love of weapons
are vile lusting for death.

Are a vile listing for death?

Military parades are funeral processions in advance.

So remember when you cheer at a military parade you’re killing. You’re excited to go kill people.

Okay, Daily Taoist here to end all wars.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t trying to say go to a military parade and cheer.

Now when I was a kid I saw the Blue Angels and stuff. I would go to those parades with my dad. My dad was in the military army. So I went to the military parades and I enjoyed them. I saw them and I yeah, but really mostly… I liked the boat races and the stuff that really wasn’t military.

But um I went to it. I was actually like I said— I was like I could have touched him. I’ve been that close to Eisenhower. Ike Eisenhower. I saw John F Kennedy, and get in and out of a helicopter and do his speech. I can’t remember anything he said. [LAUGHS]

We were way… I was way far in the back with my mom. My dad was graduating. But whatever it was I—whatever it was we were way far away. But anyway, but I was there. And I can remember the helicopter landing and I can remember that he was John F. Kennedy and he got in. And so that that was the extent.

How’d we get onto that?

12 minutes.

But I was talking about the military. The love of military. I— you know— Like I said, I come from the old homophobic military war machine slave producing families.

A lot of the things I might even think I enjoy you know it’s like wow maybe I shouldn’t have enjoyed those as much but I did. I was a kid. Go along with it and that’s what we do — we brainwash everybody into going along with this murder and stuff and I’ve been brainwashed to some extent too. Just nobody thinks something of it.

All right, let’s decide who we are. Let’s decide what right and wrong is. And let’s decide correctly please. With balance and Taoism.

And remember if you’re making the wrong decisions… There should be ways you can tell and figure that out. There’s— I mean, I’ve seen Trump’s problems illuminated you know just dramatically.

So all of— everything that’s going wrong right now could be prevented by anybody who understands this book.

If you understand this book you can prevent a large number of our problems.

We’ve just got to work together to end all wars.

==========================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_53 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #31b – Our Left Side is Yang, Friendship Balanced by Trust

April 4, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

youTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 53 #31b

Hey. Hello there. The Daily Taoist here. Here to bring you some more things to hopefully help. Well they’re definitely gonna help you. Even if you don’t think they are. Once you’ve kind of got a good idea. Sometimes you’ve just got to find the time to understand it. And then you’ve got to find another time to implement it. And then you’ve got to find another time to say, “Yeah. That was a good idea because it’s gonna work.” If it doesn’t work you then you’ll be saying, “Ah… That good idea was a bad idea.” [LAUGHS]

Alright. #31b

Daily Taoist Buddha Zhen here. Richard Del Connor. And we’re reading from my book, the TAO OF TAOISM based on Lao Tzu’s book, THE BOOK OF CHANGES. Or Dao Te Ching.

Here we go. #31b

The left side of our body is a Yin female polarity.

This is China. We’re in China 2,000 years ago in China. So these are all things that made a lot of sense to them. And still do. But anyway, that’s 2,000 years ago.

He says,

The left side of our body
is a Yin female polarity
that will only extend itself in friendship
when we trust one another.

So it’s saying this arm over here is — doesn’t always trust you. So the right one…

By offering our left Yin side in friendship we stand alongside the right Yang side of our friend.

So in other words–

Friendship is balanced by trust.

Okay? So in other words really what it’s saying is you’re side by side. As long as you’re facing someone and you’re shaking right hands: Now you’re kind of opposing. You’re both kind of equal. Now, the moment you offer your left hand. See that shifts you over. They put out their right hand and I put out my left, I put over here and I’m facing. So that puts you now side by side.

So the right and so in other words the positive negative Yin Yang…

It’s a very clever little way of kind of– kind of shows something and expounds some other deeper things which I don’t think I really want to get into. Because we’re– But anyway.

The Yin-Yang concepts and female and the– and the hesitation, the trust and the everything–

This is an interesting point: There’s a whole bunch going on. All this is 31b, 31c. I broke it down because there’s so much information in this #31. And I broke it down into these three things.

But this whole thing about the Yin side. The trust. The positive-negative. And being side by side. That means you’re friends. As long as you’re facing each other, you’re not friends. You can be total enemies. When you’re side by side, you’re friends. You have to trust that person. If this person wants to kill you, that’s not the best place to put them. [LAUGHS] You want to have them in front of you where you can see what they’re doing. Wouldn’t want to put them right behind you either.

Okay? See? So anyway, you get the concept.

Here we go. #31b

Describe how you trust people.

Describe HOW you trust people.

How did you develop this trust system?

How did you develop YOUR trust stystem?

How DON’T you trust people?

How don’t you trust people?

There’s certain things you just don’t trust. Everybody draws lines.

Okay. Here we go.

How did this DISTRUST develop?

How did you decide where to draw that line?

HOW did this distrust develop?

Describe your female nature.

Whether a man or woman. Everybody.

Some men are much more feminine than women.

The 5 SOUL THEORY kind of all the sudden illuminates them.

But okay, here we go:

To who is your trust extended unconditionally now?

To WHO is your trust extended UNCONDITIONALLY now?

And I don’t know if I should say anything about this now, but I was actually raised on the wrong interpretation I was raised, “Men had CONDITIONAL love,” and “Women had UNCONDITIONAL love.” And it’s COMPLETELY THE OPPOSITE. 100% of the time. Completely the opposite. A woman will only love you when she’s got what she wants and everything’s alright otherwise NO. Totally conditional.

A man, he’s gonna keep loving you no matter what. He’s gonna go to his job and he’s gonna be consistent. He’s the one who’s patterned. The same with his job. He’s content, conditioned. He’s got a mind that has the ability to go to the same place for thirty years and work. Which means he can be with the same woman and go to the same home and work for thirty years too.

So a man has the unconditional ability built into him much more than a woman does. And I was raised, like I said, to believe just the opposite of that. Totally screwed me up. It messed me up. Because I honestly believed that women had unconditional love. So I expected that. I never found it. So I could’ve saved myself a lot of trouble if I wasn’t pursuing a lie.

Where are we? Five minutes. Okay.

To who is your trust extended UNCONDITIONALLY now?

To who are you uncondiditional?

To whom is your trust extended with reservations now?

Certain things you trust entirely but other things…

WHAT do those you trust unconditionally OFFER YOU?

I’ll read it again. What do those you trust UNCONDITIONALLY offer you?

So by trusting them, what does that give you access to?

What do those you SLIGHTLY DISTRUST offer you?

So those you have reservations about–you trust them a little bit–maybe not much but–

But actually, if you only slightly distrust them — that means you mostly trust them. So you mostly trust them, but you slightly distrust them. So, what are you getting from them?

Okay, then I’ve got my suggestions here. Hey only six minutes! That was a good one.

So yes, this goes to the Yin Yang concepts which I’m totally like rethinking and throwing out. And the– and the Chinese they have this belief that this is the Yin side and Yang side. Which is true if you’re right handed. It’s stronger than this side. It does create a Yin and a Yang.

I just realized in Kung Fu training if I make people think that way they’re gonna think this is stronger than this and they become kind of like wieghted over here.

I kind of wiped out that in all my Kung Fu training. We don’t use the Yin Yang. I say, “Move the energy both ways.” It can come in the Yin and go out the Yin. I do everything both ways. We do our exercises, we do our punching–try to do everything even. Most all the Kung Fu is right-handed. It’s like 70-80% right-handed. You know it’s not a complete exact balance of left and right kicks.

So I’ve created extra drills to bring up the left side of the body. So.. anyway, like I’m saying, I have agreements and disputes with the Yin Yang concept. And that’s the Tao. We can find out realistically how to put it. Now don’t impose certain concepts unnaturally onto Nature. [LAUGHS] You know, sometimes– Okay.

But there you go. That was #31b. of the TAO OF TAOISM. Read to you–in fact I’ve got time to read it one more time. Let’s read it one more time.

The left side of our body is a Yin female polarity
that will only extend itself in friendship
when we trust another.

So it’s saying, unless she trusts you–you’re not going to get anything.

By offering our left Yin side in friendship
we stand alongside
the right Yang side of our friend.
Friendship is balanced by trust.

So remember, friendship is a side by side relationship.

==============================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_52 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #31a – Love of Weapons are Vile Lusting for Death

March 28, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCIPTION: Daily Taoist 52

Alright. Hey, I’m back.

This is great stuff to talk about. I’m just wondering how much to say sometimes.

But here we are. The Daily Taoist back. Buddha Zhen here. And we’re reading from my TAO OF TAOISM. How to improve your life using the DAO TE CHING. The BOOK OF CHANGES by Lao Tzu about 2,200 years ago.

Anyway, we’re on #31a. And #31a of the Tao of Taoism, my interpretation of the Dao Te Ching.

Now I love Confucianism. Now you’ve gotta remember I’ve gone from being a Hippie– I’m still a hippie. An enlightened hippy.

Us hippies were just kids. Kids rebelling against our parents. Yeah. [LAUGHS] We were a bunch of kids rebelling against our parents. But we were doing it with art. We were looking at a lot of things we disagreed with. And I still disagree with. We had some great core values to being a hippie. In terms of wanting to do music and stop the war. The free love thing got a little out of control. But it was about marriage. Because marriage was required–and all this type stuff. And for women who had sex before marriage–they were “ruined.” They were like soiled goods. So they were lowered in society so we needed to kind of change the way society thought. So that’s what the hippies did. We changed all that. Before that, a woman couldn’t have sex before marriage or she was called all kinds of things forever.

Obviously, that’s not the case anymore. So we changed that.

So anyway, “Thank you hippies!”

But anyway, as a hippy I’ve come to realize that a lot of the structure and the rules… We burned down the R.O.T.C. buildings because that was basically where they were trying to sign up kids to go kill them over in Vietnam. And I totally agree with that and the fact that we pushed so hard. I mean we shouldn’t have to push so hard. And you push hard like that and then you should get a response. The response we got from our government was horrible.

You’d think that if you had a revolution and you revolt, then the government should go, “Oh. These people have something important to say.” No. The louder you scream about things being wrong the more the government is often times going to turn around and actually look at you as being a foreign enemy and start killing and shooting your kids. Just because you’re making too much noise. That’s what they did.

Kent State Murder Day is coming up and–I started that last year. I got booked for that accidentally and then realized what it was and made that the focus of my whole show. And every year I’d like to do a show. And this year, I’ll try to do an online show. I mean, I’ve got to plan it. I… think.. I would… I feel kind of obligated to.

So anyway. Getting back to this. I’m a hippy, but I’m an enlightened hippy. I see things from a bigger picture than I did when I was a kid.

So here we go. #31a.

The celebration of victory and love of weapons– ‘kay.

The celebration of victory and the love of weapons–

(tanks, rockets, stealth bombers)

–are vile lusting for death.

Is it “A vile lusting for death?” or is it just, “vile lusting for death?”

So in other words, every one of those things you’re saying is beautiful–was designed to kill people.

That’s it. Not even for hunting. Not even for animals. Not where you could actually use the carcass of whatever you kill. No. It’s to obliterate. It’s just destruction. The buildings. Not like, “Oh let’s just kill the people, and not hurt the buildings…” No. It’s destruction. Totally. So as we worship these things we’re worshipping total destruction. So that’s why “VILE LUSTING FOR DEATH.”

“Those people gotta die!” You can’t just take away their buildings and bodies and not have them die. That’s why death is so important.

So when you celebrate victory and the love of weapons you’re celebrating your desire to kill something. Wow!

Let’s– one more sentence. This is Lao Tzu. This is why him and Confucius may not have gotten along. They SAY they didn’t. But that’s because most people can’t harmonize these things. But you can. You can totally. I’m totally into Lao Tzu, I’m a hunter and totally into Confucianism. You can balance all these things. If you can get the proper perspective and proper intentions.

Military parades are funeral processions in advance.

This is written by Lao Tzu. Remember? Over two thousand years ago. The Emperor would have little parades you know. All his soldiers and their weapons…

Military parades are funeral processions in advance.

In other words whenever you put those things out there, it’s always because you’re showing, “Hey! This is what we’re going to use to kill some people with.” And everybody goes [gasp and clapping]. “Oh great! I can’t wait for you to dispose of them.” And in people’s backyards–you know, and kill them.

But that’s what we do. That’s what the world is. And that’s what the government tells all the people. To all the people it’s like a football team. “Yeah! I’m rooting for that team.” Even though that team’s carrying a nuclear bomb–they’re going to blow it up and kill you in the arena. “It’s my team though! And…” It’s just stupid.

Anyway. Like I said, we’re all cattle and so the cattle are excited by these parades. “Oh yeah! Let’s go kill some people!” “Who we gonna kill?” “Uh– We’ll find somebody.” [SIGH]

Okay. Let’s go down this page. Ready?

What sports do you enjoy most and why?

How do you celebrate victory?

How do YOU celebrate victory?

How do you feel or disregard the loser?

If you’ve ever played any game there’s always a loser. From soccer to chess.

How do you feel or disregard the loser?

Interesting. If I was to reword that– I don’t know. I haven’t read down this whole page.

How do you feel or disregard yourself?

If you were the loser– that would be an important question to ask here.

How much effort is expended to befriend the loser after the competition?

So after the competition you’ve won, how much effort do you spend to be friends with the person you just conquered? (Won, defeated… whatever.)

Explain the importance of winning.

Remember, these are your words. Don’t try to answer the question the way that I want or your teachers taught, or your parents taught… Well, it might be what your parents taught, but anyway these are hopefully– These are supposedly your words. So make them your words. This whole thing. Okay? That’s important.

If you put other people’s words in you’re just fooling yourself, lying to yourself, cheating, creating a false image. Looking in a mirror that’s not reflecting your true image back. You’re lying to yourself. You’re cheating. You’re hiding… Okay… You’re a normal person.

But hopefully, by reading this book you’re going to able to not be a normal person. You can stop hiding from yourself. Start seeing the truth.

How–okay. What do you do with your winnings and trophies?

Okay, so if you’re in a competition: and you win something, and you get a trophy or whatever: What do you do with it? Where are they? All your winnings and trophies. What have you done. Explain your thing in your life. Where are they?

Do you celebrate with liquor? And what else?

Do you take time off after a contest and rest from training?

Shifu suggestions:

That last one was a setup too. It was to see if actually, when you have a contest, if it’s unnatural. You were having to push yourself into an unnatural reality. Compete. Because in our Kung Fu school our goal is to just always have you ready to compete all the time. Anytime. That’s it.

Explain your interest in weapons.

Can you guys see my weapons?

I don’t know if this may really jack off–make the camera go wonky, but let me see– I’ll try to move the whole stand. If we move down here and we turn–There’s a couple. There’s some more. Whoops. See that wall down there. There’s swords down below. See some whip chains, rope darts and meteor hammers. Way down there towards the end near the top there’s a couple of tiger hook swords, and there’s a whole bunch of swords there. Oh, at the very end looking at us down there is some certificates and flags of mine.

As you can see, there’s some weapons on the wall. And if you come over here there’s actually another weapon over here. Yeah, a couple. In fact way on the very top of this thing, which you can’t see, if you were to go up here, across here hanging… Is one of my first staffs I ever got. And I’ve got it in a black sash. Make it kind of sacred or whatever. Didn’t like people to touch it. It’s weird because it’s slick. It looks like it’s varnished but it’s all my sweat and oil that’s like built this varnish onto it. So I don’t like people to touch it. I pick it up– and pick it up it’s like glass. It’s amazing.

But that’s what happens when you use these staffs for a long time. They become a personal thing. Because you wear them down and they actually–I’ll show you later. But yeah, that’s the Chinese style. We’re much different.

When I was in Utah and the’d never even seen them, the Karate guys. Quite a few of them bought them from me. Because I was buying them for my students because I teach staff. In fact, a couple of them wanted me to teach a staff class at their school. But I just couldn’t coordinate between all my classes and Mr. Mom and everything else I was doing. I couldn’t fit it in. But I did work out the program to do it. I came real close.

But yeah, they were amazed at those staffs. They thought they were–the whole concept–because mostly you get a piece of wood, it’s a dowel. Just a little spinter from a big tree. But this is the whole tree. When you look at my staffs there. The whole tree and the branches come out all the sides. It’s really amazing. It’s called White Waxwood. Look it up on the internet.

Here we go. How many minutes we got. Ten? Let’s finish this thing. How we doing.

Explain your interest in weapons.

Oh, that’s what I did.

How do these weapons portray you?

Well for me they represent all the different things I was exploring. Exploring the body and possibilities. So these weapons–I don’t think there’s anything else you can do.

How do these weapons portray you?

They portray me because all of these weapons require mastery and a certain kind of focus. Like musical instruments, each one requires a certain kind of relationship. You have to understand that in its own terms. In an intimate way. Each of these weapons. That kind of represents how I am. I tend to be very intimate in each of my projects. And each of my weapons. And each of my musical instruments. So I get a relationship with it. So that I’m not forcing it to just do what I want it to do–I’m figuring out how to — from what its Tao is, its’ Nature — how I can extract of harmonize with it. To create this other third thing. The instrument plus me creates the third thing.

Okay. How do you feel when using your weapons?

I get out here at night when its all dark . I need more room. And I’d just spin them around a little more. The chains kind of rattle a lot. [LAUGHS] In the dark’s cool too. Just come out here in the dark. It’s two in the morning. “Can’t sleep.” [swish swish] Alright. Then I go back to bed.

Okay. Explain how you imagine using these weapons?

That was a long time ago. But that’s gory. That’s why I enjoy playing with them so much now. That’s because I’ve gotten past that. But no, you’ve got to imagine lopping off arms and legs and stabbing… You’ve got to go through that phase. You have to learn the weapon. What they were designed for. And then I can play with them and use imaginary monsters…

But yeah, you’ve got to get past that gory stuff. I had nightmares for a few years. That was back in the mid-eighties. But I did. I’d have nightmares about them–actually using these weapons. Hurting, killing people. Death. So I had to get past that. Now I realize how dangerous they are. Like shooting a gun. You’ve got to realize this gun can shoot somebody. You’ve gotta, you’ve gottta accept that fact. You cannot like say, “Oh that’s not gonna hurt somebody because I’m not gonna touch it.” The moment you touch it–it can kill somebody. You’ve gotta come to grips with that. And then you’ve got to decide never to do it. See? So you’ve gotta go past that part. You know, I think that’s the problem with a lot of young people. They haven’t gotten past that. They haven’t learned the weapon. They haven’t learned to shoot it. They haven’t felt the power of the weapon. And then the respect for the weapon. It’s kind of got to go in that order.

A motorcycle. Well the first thing you’ve got to do is learn how to drive it without killing yourself. Then you get cocky on it. Then you’ve gotta get past cocky and get safe. And that’s the same with a gun. Just like a motorcycle. It’s got those LEVELS OF LEARNING. That’s what I call them. And I do. I teach the “8 LEVELS OF LEARNING.” And that does it.

Okay. Here we go.Are we going to finish? I’ve got thirteen minutes. I’ve got a make it in fifteen.

Explain how you imagine using these weapons.

I already did.

Explain your peer group and circle of friends.

Wooow. I’m not sure…Well, because we’re talking about celebrations. So your peer group are all the people you celebrate with. And do things together.

Explain your peer group and circle of friends and then think of them in terms of military and processions and I don’t know. Plug them into this. You’re in the army, those are your fellow soldiers. If you’re not in the army they’re still your fellow warriors and citizens who believe in war and see the parade and think of bombing people.

Describe any membership requirements and dress codes you enjoy.

This is where people say Confucius and Lao Tzu– Lao Tzu says kind of like a hippie, “I don’t want to dress in all these things…” But if you’re in the court and you’ve got to do this. And you’ve got people coming from other countries–you’ve gotta impress them. You can’t go in there in a T-shirt. You know, you’ve got to look like–anyway.

So there’s a harmony. There’s a natural Tao to being in government. Different than when you’re working in the field. You wouldn’t wear a tuxedo when you’re out there working in the rice paddies. So you’ve gotta harmonize with each of these situations. And that’s what people got confused with when they read this stuff.

Oh, real fast: Explain your loyalties.

And like we said earlier, when Trump asked for loyalties in the government–that meant that they were already corrupt. Because no government would ever give loyalties to its ruler when he asked for it. So that means that all those people who bowed to him were already the people who were corrupt. So everyone who liked Trump in the beginning–that’s your swamp. Those are the people you’ve got to get rid of if you ever want to end the war.

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Daily Taoist 1_51 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #30 Cruelty, Destruction, Arrogance are Evil Persons

March 21, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 51

My Tao was saying, “Let’s go take a break.”

Then my other Tao was saying, “Hey! Let’s keep going!”

So it’s like, alright… Let’s compromise. We’ll do one more and then we’ll take a break. [LAUGHS]

You’ve gotta work with yourself. You know you can’t just push yourself all the time. You’ve gotta–You’ve gotta find your own Yin and Yang. So here it is: I’m going to do this #30 and take a break.

#30 of the TAO OF TAOISM. Written by me, Buddha Zhen, Richard Del Connor, Zhen Shen-Lang. Based on the book by Lao Tzu which I call THE BOOK OF CHANGES. Okay? Dao Te Ching. The Book of Changes.

It’s about basically the book of all the– everything changes. The book–Or you could even call THE TAO nothing but “Changes.” Because THE TAO doesn’t exist. It’s just your way of trying to understand: what was–what is now–what it’s becoming… It’s just a constant flow of change. All reality is a constant flow of change.

Okay. Here we go. #30.

Cruelty, destruction, and arrogance
are unnatural evil forces.

Man! Should mail a copy of this to– Well, Trump’s not gonna– He doesn’t read. You see? That’s the problem. Trump could never do this book. Trump is never going to be a better person. He’s always going to be a terrible, terrible person. Because he’s not capable of reading this book. That’s a shame. Because I would like to at least improve him. It’s not like I want to– hurt him. He deserves to be hurt. He’s hurt lots of people. Even killed–anyway, inadvertently perhaps killed people. Yeah, what to do with that guy? Put him in prison. Make him read my book the rest of his life. Heck–

Okay, #30.

Cruelty, destruction, and arrogance are unnatural evil forces.

Remember, I define evil as anything that works against the good of the person. In other words, anything I don’t want you to do to me is evil. I don’t want you to take my car. That’s evil. I don’t want you to take my house. That’s evil. I don’t want you to shoot me. That’s evil. I don’t want to go without food. I don’t want you to take my food and make me hungry. That’d be evil. Anything that hurts me is evil. Anything that helps me is good. Hey, you’re gonna give me some more food. That’s nice. That’s a good thing to do. You’re gonna give me some more money. Hey, that’s a good thing. Gonna give me a better car. That’s a good thing to do. Thank you, I could use it. See? All these things are good.

See? You can see the difference between good and evil. One helps the person. And one hurts the person. So–

Do you enforce laws, rules, and punishments for disobeying those laws and rules you dislike?

Alright. Let’s read that again. I’ll read it maybe twice. Make sure we get it right.

Do you enforce laws– (Okay, so do you like a parent) –enforce laws rules and punishments for disobeying rules and laws you dislike?

Like what about smoking pot? Now what if a policeman smokes pot. They probably test him so much he couldn’t. Anyway, if he could, but he wanted to smoke pot, but he’s gotta arrest other people and put them in handcuffs for doing it. Even though it’s something he wants to do. See thats… So he’s enforcing a law that he dislikes.

Do you believe that when a person breaks a law they should “pay the consequences?”

Ah. Should people suffer? Should you make them atone for it. Okay? There’s a whole bunch of answers to that but I’m just looking for yours right now. I’m not sure if this is the place to go into all the psychology and everything of what’s going on here.

So let’s just go through this and I’ll try to influence you as little as possible. [LAUGHS] Because if you’re seductive [sadistic] evil qualities–You need to see them. You need to let them out. So I don’t mean to– I’ll probably. You’ll probably be hiding them, “Oh, I’m not gonna say that. He’s not gonna like–” So don’t write it for me. Write it for you. Write the truth in this book and then look at it, and then that’s the only way you can get better. You can’t hide from yourself. Well YOU CAN. In fact, that’s probably what you’ve been doing your whole life. Everybody who’s looking at this has probably hid from themselves to some extent.

Me? I mean, I wasn’t trying to. I was trying to be something I wasn’t. So I was trying to hide my artistic Nature. I was trying to be a Carpenter when I wanted to be a Musician. So I was kind of hiding a little bit.

So, yeah. We all do it in our own way. How do you– Okay.

Do you believe that a person who breaks a law should “pay the consequences?”

Do you believe the rule, “Spare the rod–and you’ll spoil the child?”

Do you believe in that rule? That it’s correct? Spare the rod and you’ll spoil the child?”

Do you believe that too much patience or affection will “spoil the child?”

So in other words, if you don’t punish them enough they’re not going to be good. And if you’re too good to them, they’re not gonna turn out good.

“Spoil the child.” Do you ever say, “spoil the child?” “You’re spoiling him.” Do you ever say that? Have you ever used the word, “spoil?” (In regards to other people.) Have you ever said it?

Can you kick or hurt a dog, cat or other small animal when they misbehave?

In other words, when they’ve done something bad. They’ve pee-ed on the floor. Or something that really just makes you mad. They’ve done it before. Do you kick them? Punish them?

Do you enjoy hunting animals?

I guess, “enjoy.” Now I used to– I’m a hunter. Was a hunter? I’ll always be a hunter. If I had to I’d be a hunter now. But if I don’t have to I don’t really want to. I’ve got other things more important. [LAUGHS]

But anyway, as a hunter do you ENJOY hunting animals?

Let me tell you, because you probably aren’t a hunter. There aren’t many hunters around. Last twenty years they’ve kind of disappeared. Everybody’s afraid of guns.

The point being: as a hunter I don’t enjoy killing animals. But I do enjoy hunting. So I don’t care if I ever even catch–if I’m successful. I always enjoyed every hunting expedition I’ve been on whether or not I bagged anything. Seriously. I’ve always enjoyed them equally. The one’s where we did actually kill something were actually more problematic and had more stuff. And you gotta gut ’em, and hang ’em, and bleed ’em and drag ’em back in the snow. It’s a lot of work actually killing an animal and bringing it back. So I wouldn’t call that more fun. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed that part. So I enjoy hunting, and maybe I enjoy hunting less [more] when I’m unsuccessful.

Do you enjoy killing people?

And then in parentheses I put, “in games.” [LAUGHS]

I remember this one little kid I was talking to and he was all proud of himself because he’d had 29,000 kills in one year. So in one year he was proud he had killed 29,000 individuals. Of course they were supposed to all be bad, but you know they were still ranging from probably elves, fairies and dwarves and demons and humans and soldiers and whatever. 29,000 people killed. Because you were aiming at them and trying to kill them. So that’s 29,000 to actually go, “I want you to die. Die. I want you to die. Die. Die.”

Even when I was hunting, I wasn’t really saying, “I want you to die.” It was more like a contest of trying to–of anyway… You’re just–

Okay. Where are we?

So, do you enjoy killing people? (In games.)

Low battery. Sheesh. I told you I’d have to take a break right after this.

Here we go.

Explain your viewpoint on guns.

I keep mentioning this. So lay out yours. Say it to yourself. What’s your viewpoint on guns. “They’re all evil…” Say whatever you believe. Okay?

Which sports do you enjoy? And why?

Everybody’s got certain sports. But why not the other ones? Why this one over that…? Think about it. Maybe you don’t even know. But think about it. Why didn’t you choose football instead of soccer? Why didn’t you choose badminton instead of tennis? Probably can’t find badminton on TV. [LAUGHS]

Alright. Here we go.

What should be done with homeless persons?

Oooh. Remember. I wrote this book back in the eighties. Rewrote it in the nineties. Last rewrite was ten years ago before I ever knew I was going to be a homeless person. Although I had lived out of my van a couple times in the eighties. I started my record company that way. I was a union carpenter working at the airport at LAX for a year and a half or something. And I lived out of my car. I got the job and realized it was one of those like long haul jobs and I was the Steward and so I was going to be one of the last people fired on the job. Which is kind of cool. Sometimes you’re just hired and you go for a couple of weeks. And then you’re gone. But in this case I was the Union Steward so that was a long term job. So I would just work. Go to my Kung Fu school. And then I’d go park at the beach. And do my Kung Fu and play music in my car or go to band rehearsal. That was in the mid-eightes. Mid-eighties.

Where were we? Yeah. Maybe 1982, ’84. It was before the ’84 Olympics. So it would have ben ’83 before the Olympics. Maybe I was working when it started. I’m not sure.

Explain your viewpoint on– Okay– Oh– Explain your viewpoint on guns.

Explain your viewpoint on gun laws.

Okay. So you said guns. Tell what you think on gun laws. I never thought this was going to be an issue. But it was a long long time ago I wrote this. Before this became this hotbed thing.

Explain your viewpoint on other weapons.

So me, I’d bring up nunchuks. You don’t even know what they are probably. They had a big heyday because of Bruce Lee. He made nunchuks famous. For like ten years every criminal and every person in the world carried nunchuks. And that’s why they had to make all these laws against nunchuks. It’s because of Bruce Lee. If he would’ve never made nunchuks famous they would have never had to make laws that they were illegal. So that’s the one thing he did. He made nunchuks famous. And now nunchuks are dead. Kung Fu is dead. Bruce Lee is dead.

What are your favorite wars and why?

Remember. A lot of people just love World War II things. I’ve actually got a World War 2 book. And as soon as I wrote it I get all this advice: “You’ve gotta put World War II on here. There’s all kinds of people–that’s all that they look for is World War II stories and World War this… So, yes…A lot of people have favorite wars. They just love to keep them alive in their minds and their worlds and their books and their videos. They… anyway–

So WHY do you like those wars?

Put the whole answer there. You might be surprised, or hopefully you might learn something about yourself.

What are your favorite violent movies? And why?

Violent movies… and why.

Me personlly, I have BOOM Desperado. Desperado One, the scene in the bar. Where his gun case opens real slowly and they can see– “I’m just looking for the man named, Bucho.” Anyway, that scene. That movie, Desperado., I love it. Very, very violent. Ugly sometimes. I’m not trying to be the total– Goody 2-Shoes. I’m just– Let’s all be honest. But I love that battle scene. That’s one of my favorites. I just watched it. I found it on YouTube. I saw it just recently. [LAUGHS] A month ago or something. I was like, “Yeah!” I had to play that scene. I just enjoyed it.

And okay. And that’s killing, horrible sadistic things.

Okay. Where were we? Where are we? Oh we’re over here on this page.

What are your favorite horror movies? Books? Or Stories?

So Horror movies, books and stories. What are your favorites? ‘kay?

I don’t even know if the “WHY” even matters because you wouldn’t want to say, “Well I like this movie where they cut up…” You don’t want to try to come up with a reason. So don’t try.

But maybe–I don’t know. Maybe if you could look at the influence why–or who got you to start looking at them or liking them. Look at maybe a few things like that. Okay?

If you were given a Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde potion– (Remember? You drink it and then you turn into your alter character? They used to call it the evil or whatever it is–that other ego–the animal ego or whatever. ) –What monster would you become?

So if you were this other monster–as opposed to the civilized animal: you know: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde- Dr. Jekyll I guess was the nice guy. And then Mr. Hyde was the really evil… Anyway, what monster would you– Describe the evil you. What would be the evil you?

And describe your car, clothes, status and social image.

I was thinking of the evil one of you. But do both of them. Do your Dr. Jekyll images of you: how you’d dress. Your car clothes and status. How they’d be different. Dr. Jekyll would maybe drive a Ferrari. Maybe, or– You figure it out. Anyway. This is for you to look at yourself. That’s what this is for.

Alright. Buddh Zhen here in thirteen minutes and this is your Daily Tao #30 and we were talking:
Lao Tzu says,

Cruelty, destruction, and arrogance
are unnatural evil forces.

And that’s what I say to you.

=============================================

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Daily Taoist 1_49 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO#28 Virtues Determine Rewards of Path to Goals

March 7, 2024 / 5 Soul Theory, Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 49

Man! This is a great book! That’s what I like about– Oftentimes I’m writing books, I’m writing for myself. And then I just make them so they’ll work for other people. A lot of these books like this one– This one was written 100% for me in the beginning. Then whe I formed my Kung Fu school I said, “Well, let’s change this over for my students.” And then about ten years ago I thought, “Well, maybe let’s see if I can change it over for the world.” And so, yeah. So you’re getting a kind of presentation of it. And then I’m gonna go in and record the audio book. So I recommend you go get the audio book. It’ll be recorded nicer, and you can listen to it. It o there wa pwon’t be so distracting. And hopefully I won’t ramble so much. [laughs] I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Alright. Let’s see. Okay, and by the way: the last question– I hurried off on the last video. Was, Do you enjoy reading how-to books? This is a how-to book: How-to put yourself together.

And by the way, I think I mentioned there was a pausing in on one of the videos. Maybe it was the last one and it kind of shut down. I think– did I do it? I think I did. You go into your SETTINGS and you put it on AIRPLANE MODE. Okay? So now you won’t get phone calls and stuff that actually shut down my recording program. But the program sends NOTICES. So I’ve told most of my programs, “DON’T SEND ME NOTICES.” My bank apps and all these different apps. I turned all the notices off on almost every single one. With a couple exceptions, including my phone which tells me when there’s something on my calendars or something. So the only way I can shut that down is tell them, “I’m asleep.” I still have to go into NIGHT MODE. So that’s AIRPLANE MODE plus NIGHT MODE and I think I can shoot without interruption. And I think that’s why it jammed up: I was getting a couple of notices. From the SETTINGS of my phone.

Okay. So here we go. #28 of the DAO TE CHING, or my version of it. The TAO OF TAOISM by me, Buddha Zhen. And this is THE DAILY TAOIST coming to you. And if this HAPPENS I’d love to be The Daily Taoist man. It’d be good for me. I’m enjoying this– maybe more than you are. [LAUGHS] It’s something that I would enjoy doing for ME. Let alone for you. Because I can’t really afford to be doing things for other people that aren’t of any benefit to what I’ve got to do now. I’ve got to focus my life. Remember? We’ve been talking about that in previous lessons. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m deciding who I am. What I am. What I’ve got to do. What’s important to me. And, kind of putting my life back in a new focus. In a new path.

# 28:
Life’s lessons are learned
by aggressive awareness that watches patiently.

Wow. How much of that’s me? And how much of that’s Lao Tzu? I don’t know right off hand. [LAUGHS] That’s a great line. It sounds like ME a lot. But remember this is Lao Tzu and my interpretation. So I definitely flavored this.

But here we go.

Life’s lessons are learned
by aggressive awareness that watches patiently.

There’s a bunch of noise going on out there. Sorry about that. Sounds like the trash can.

Wholesome values create pathways to goals
as rewards unfold naturally
according to the virtues of the person
who also realizes that the path rewards
are not the goals.

WOW! This is great stuff! This is great stuff. We should all review this on a monthly basis. Read this book every month.

Life’s lessons are learned by aggressive awareness that watches patiently.

Say, that’s very good. And most people don’t pay attention. I mean, tell me the colors of the houses down your street when you walk to the bus stop or whatever. What are the colors? Pay attention! But in order to really pay attention that means you’ve gotta aggressively pay attention. Okay? Look at that. “Hey, I didn’t even know that house had a white porch,” you know. And then there’s a grey house, you know… You’ll start to notice.

It takes awareness. It takes an effort. Cows, no matter if they’re all looking at the same thing… They ain’t seein’ nothin’. [LAUGHS] Their–their heads just pointed that way. So that’s how most people are. Their head’s just pointed a certain direction. They don’t see nothin.’ THEY DON’T SEE NOTHIN’. What am I? Talking very educated.

Now. Let me read it one more time and we’ll continue.

Wholesome values create pathways to goals.–

(I like that. There’s always a path to the goal but let’s do it with wholesome values.)

–As rewards unfold naturally–

(In other words, you’re gonna get some rewards as you’re headed towards your goal.)

–according to the virtues of the person–

(Okay, so your values now are going to determine the rewards that are going to happen along your path. Like Trump’s rewards are scorn and scandal. And he’s gonna be– I mean, to be honest with you he’s gonna try to pardon himself. But he needs to go to court and go to jail for all of the stuff he’s done as Presideent. I’m serious. He should go to jail. Yeah. We’ve gotta. We’ve gotta let people know in the future that they can’t just hijack our government and get away with it. He needs to go to jail. But anyway, those are his rewards that should unfold naturally.)

–according to the virtues of the person–

(His virtues are very very illegal.)

–who also realizes that the path rewards are not the goals. —

(And he realizes that these– Well actually, that’s one of the reasons he’s so screwed up. He thinks that all these rewards that he’s getting: these payolas and everything… He thinks these are his goals. That’s why he’s gonna pay the price for that. His goal should’ve just been: to be a good President. Do the best for our country and all this. But no. He’s just picking all the fruit off the tree. And it’s like, “We want you to help us run this farm.” And he says, “Oh sure!” And then he goes in and slaughters all the animals… and eats all the stuff… He’s just making a mess of the whole place. He’s not taking care of it. He’s not making it better than when he got there. He’s just pillaging. So that’s our President: pillaging our country. Pillaging our democracy.)

Okay. Here we go. What time is it? Five minutes? Okay. I’ve got a fifteen minute limit to get this on IGTV.

How much effort do you put into learning something new every day? [LAUGHS]

Every day! What do you put into learning something new? It’s so frustrating.

I’ve got a friend I’m trying to get to work with — I don’t want to say names, but a fellow producer. I’m just trying to get him to work on one of movie projects. “I don’t have time. I can’t even put in an hour a week.” You know, he’s just– So anyway, he doesn’t learn anything new every day. I’ve known him for quite a few years, I couldn’t tell you what he’s learned. I couldn’t tell you what he’s learned in the last few years. Nothing as far as I can tell.

But anyway–

Describe your patience.

Describe your impatience.

How much does it bother you when people are late?

Are you good at ‘killing time’ — when you have to wait?

Are you good at killing time when you have to wait?

How do you do it? So what are the ways you do kill time if you have to? See what… anyway–

Do you squeeze Kung Fu– (Remember I told you I wrote this for my students.) –Do you squeeze Kung Fu practice in when unexpected gaps appear in your day?

When I was in Salt Lake City I was going to mix down, well I did. I paid a mastering engineer. I had to get it mastered so I could make a CD. And then I didn’t have enough money to make CDs. It was two or three years later I ended up getting a CD made. Sheesh. Being poor sucks!

Being poor has always hindered the production of my life and my ability to even help my family.

But as far as my stepfather was concerned: That’s okay. He didn’t care how much my family or me suffers or that I’m homeless. He’s just my FATHER.

I’ve got to go to a different planet. This planet sucks! Sorry I said that. This is a horrible planet to live on. [LAUGHS] Unless you want to be a cow. If you like working it’s a great planet. It’s a slave planet. If you want to just work and get paid–this is where you go. The planet to come and have a job.

Alright. Where were we?

Um, How much does it bother you– Oh, anyway. When I was waiting, the guy was almost an hour late. But when I was waiting for him I was doing all my Kung Fu practice. It was a morning thing. So he was supposed to be there like 9:30 or 10:00… He got there at like 11:30. I forget but he was an hour, almost an hour late. And I don’t even care what his excuse was. But the point is that while I was waiting I was doing all my Kung Fu workouts. So by the time he got there, I’d done them all. I’d done my Tantuis, some stretching and all that stuff so I was like, “Yeah. I got my daily workout routine totally done.” And I went in there and mastered in the studio.

So in a way, his being late–If he would’ve been on time, I wouldn’t have done that. I wouldn’t have got that workout in before the session. But having got the workout in I was in I was even– in my prime.

So you can make the day better by taking advantage of other people’s mistakes. Work with the Tao. Don’t fight against it.

Anyway. But anyway, there’s lots of advice I could give you. But it’s not gonna do any good if you don’t have that Nature. We’ve got to build in your Nature. Otherwise my advice isn’t going to fit into your Nature.

So let’s just figure out who you are. Don’t worry about what I’m telling you is good advice. Just figure out who you are and then you can figure how to take the advice that you like, and make yourself a person who can actually utilize that advice. Okay?

So, do you squeeze Kung Fu practice in when unexpected gaps appear in your day?

Summarize your values.

That’s all it says. They’re very vague questions to me but anyway:

Summarize your values.

We all have a value system. “Yeah. I go to work and I get paid. And I expect my wife to be there and kids to be clean…” You’ve got a value system. Or I expect to be treated well at work. And have a safe place. I need a parking spot. What are your values?

Who influenced your values and how did they devleop?

So if you’re back to the worker thing and you want to work, you want to have a place for your car and stuff… Are you imitating the role model of your dad or your mom? It’s one of those types of relationships and scenarios that your trying to fit into it. And feel omfortable… taking over that cog in the wheel.

Remember, I’m not making value judgments. I mean, you can probably tell that I don’t ascribe to some of these things…

Here we go. Fast. These are not– My value is to make you happy. Don’t try to be an artist like me. And I shouldn’t try to be a worker like you. See? We’ve just gotta play in our– We’ve got to find our Tao. Our Natures.

How many of your values were developed by you as opposed to the ones your parents may have taught you?

And remember that later– like fifteen years later, 20 years later I wrote the ACT ZEN book. Act Zen to Be Zen. And that’s based a lot on this book, and Buddhism, and a lot on my UCLA script writing classes. I learned about character development. So I put all that together: that’s ACT ZEN. Great book. Great book. Another one of those books you’d like to read at least once a year.

How many of your values are your parents and your religion’s teachings?

So look at– Where are your values coming from? Okay. So you said a minute ago that you have values: “I will not lie. I will not cheat. I will not steal. I will not kill.” Not everybody makes that value. Hopefully you do. Put that value down on–If you can write down, “I do not– I will not kill.” Really. I’d like to see you write that down.

Let’s see. So how many of your values are from your parents? And how many are from your religion?

Kind of separate them out and know where you’re coming from. And then you can say, “Oh what about all these other values I’ve got?”

Well, where’d those come from?

Kind of put yourself together. That ‘s what ACT ZEN does. It figures out where you learned everything. And where everything you do came from.

As an actor you need to know all your motivations. We’re not going into the spiritual thing. I didn’t even mention the spiritual thing back then. I’m just looking at your psychology of how you react and act. Which is mostly programmed, environmental.

But as we of course have always noticed whenever we do character program. A lot of people seem to be born in with certain traits. And now my SOUL THEORY explains them.

Here we go.

Despite all your values, how do you determine right from wrong?

You’ve got all these values working for you , but what do you really– How do you choose right from wrong?

“Well, it’s whether I like it or not.” “Smells good or it doesn’t smell good.”

What is it? How do you determine it?

What’s my time. Twelve minutes. Okay.

Explain the– It says, Oh–

List your virtues.

How are you a virtuous person? How are you a role model? How are you better than average?

How are you virtuous? How are you better than the average person?

Got any virtues? Hope so.

Explain the significance of money to you.

Okay? How significant? My relatives all call it, “My money.” “That’s my money.” “I don’t want the government taking it.” “Less government is less money…” They’ve got all these weird perspectives. Their money. Their money. They’ve all been bankrupt with their money. They’ve taken their money and they’ve all been bankrupt. All my relatives, they’ve all gone through at least one bankruptcy. I think every single one of them. They’re all Republican. It’s a normal thing I think.

Gotta hurry up. Thirteen minutes.

Explain the significance of money to you.

Like I said, my parents they get theirs. My mom said she’s gonna die with it. Remember I told you, my step father died and won’t give any. My mom says they’re taking it to the grave. They don’t think it’s right to even give it to me when they’re dead. I have no idea what he did with all his money. He’s a millionaire. Well he probably gave everything to her. But it, yeah. So I guess she’s got everything. So she’s a double millionaire.

But anyway, she said when she dies I’m not gonna get any. My parents! Like I said, I’ve got to find a better planet. I’ve gotta find a planet with good parents on it.

What rewards have come to you recently?

And be thankful. We’ve gotta be thankful. Because I actually did get a few rewards from my parents. Even my horrible realtives. They actually bailed me out a couple of times. One of my cousins without– I told him I’d make it a donation to Tai Chi Youth, but it was really to me. He gave me a thousand bucks. And without that I couldn’t have been able to rent the truck and everything to escape. I would’ve been stuck in Vegas even longer. So I give thanks to my cousin for that. One of my brothers gave me his old car when he replaced it. So I do get little things. And I do remember every one of these little things… I appreciate them. But overall… you know…

I’ve gotta hurry real fast.

What rewards have come to you recently?

What rewards are near?

What rewards do you have coming up here?

What goals were completed recently of yours?

And what goals are near?

Real fast.

So remember these rewards and goals may tie together and that’s what we’re kind of looking for.

I’ve gotta hurry and end this here.

But look at your goals and then look at the rewards you’re getting and try to figure out the relation and put your virtues–look at the whole thing and see if Lao Tzu is right.

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Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)
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Daily Taoist 1_48 – Masonic Kung Fu

March 3, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

Daily Taoist 1_47 – Buddha Zhen Explains TAO #27 Friends, Love, Family and Path of Success with Tao

February 21, 2024 / Daily Taoist, Tao of Taoism, Taoism / By Richard

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 47

Alright. I’m gonna do one for of these before I take a break and have lunch… Get these done.

I need to get all these done right now and then I’ll be able to release them on a regular basis. But I’ve gotta. Unfortunately, I got messed up and backed up and coverered up one of my classes. I lost a class. I can fix my mistakes. But I made a mistake. i can fix it and know what to do. And I’m gonna fix it by finishing this project: I’m gonna go all the way to the end of the book.

So if you’re here. Feel good that I’m going to go all the way to the end. [laughs] Here we go.

#27

Proper performance of any task
is obvious by the lack of need to repeat the task.

See? And that’s why me as a musician I always try to record it–I mean I could sloppily record and then say, “I’ll fix it up some day.” But that’ll never happen. Especially for me. So I’ve got to make everything good the first time. Leave it and then know it’s good. Same with my books. And there might be a typo or something in it. But I get them as good as I can. Feel good about it, and then I’ve gotta move on. I’ve actually found I think three typos in this book already. “AHHHH.” [LAUGHS]

Okay. Here we go #27: Yeah, this is a good one. Proper performance– (They’re all good. Learn every one of these here because they’re worthy of consideration.) [sigh]

Daily Taoist here. Let’s blast!

Proper performance of any task
is obvious by the lack of need to repeat the task.
Each person’s methods are recognized by the balanced observer to be correct and efficient
in terms of the path or way of the individual.

Ooh. There’s a few cool words in there. Alright. So… You ready? Last sentence.

An unbalanced person can learn
from the successes of balanced persons.
And a balanced person can learn
from the mistakes of an unbalanced person.

Yeah. That’s kind of my friend Oscar. He tried so hard to help me. But he was out of balance–and it was just nice to have a friend. A friend is someone– My definition of a friend is: someone who is trying to improve your life.

My definition of love: is somehe sone who is working to improve your life. Love and friendship. Almost the same. Love just seems a little more committed. Friend’s just one step away. But that’s it. If they’re not trying to improve your life they’re not your friend. You’ve got lots of acquaintances. You can know a thousand people who think you’re wonderful. Say nice things. they’ll take you out to dinner. Send you Christmas presents. They’re not your friend and they’re not your lovers. Or someone that loves you. If they loved you they’d make sure that something improves in your life. They could not leave you just like that. Like a field. Like a plantation. If you love those plants, you’re not gonna just say, “Oh they look nice.” And then come back a year later. You have to water them and take care of them. Love requires effort. That used to be one of my slogans. It’s in a couple of poems I’ve written. I’m trying to teach people that LOVE is not a word. In fact that’s tht name of the poem I think, “Love Is Not A Word.” Love is effort. If somebody’s not putting effort into making your life better–then they’re not giving you any love. And they do not love you.

Alright. Here we go.

Are you generally satisfied with the work you do?

Yeah. Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not supposed to answer for you. [laughs]

Are you generally satisfied with your work that you do?

Explain your work standards of excellence.

Ah. You see now, that’s what defines sometimes– That’s why it’s so important to differentiate between the WOMAN soul and the WORKER soul. The WORKER soul is willing to accept whatever you say are the terms of excellence. But a WOMAN’s only going to agree to what she’s gonna agree to and that’s it. You can’t force her to agree to something she doesn’t want to agree to. A WORKER will agree to whatever you say. Whatever your terms are. Okay? Your standards of excellence.

You want that shiny? He’ll make it shiny. A WOMAN soul’s gonna say, “Ah that’s shiny enough.” Okay.

How do your standards relate to your goals?

So, your standards of excellence and your goals.

If people judge you by your work–what is their judgement of you?

So when people see you. Let’s say you’re a cashier, in the store. And they see you. What’s their judgement of you as a worker? And, as a person? I

If people judge you by your work–what is their judgement of you?

What do they think of you based on the way you handle the cash register?

There’s a wide variety of people there, in terms of… Check that out. Rate people. Judge them. Then try to figure what the quality of their life is. And what they’re like when they’re not working. Based on what they’re like when they’re working.

What are you artistic standards of excellence?

Artistic standards of excellence???

I think I’m trying too hard for you guys. Well, remember I wrote this for my Kung Fu students. So yes, they’re supposed to have artistic standards of excellence. They’re doing Kung Fu. I forgot. [LAUGHS] This was actually written remember for my Kung Fu students. So when i wrote this I was writing for a certain type of audience. Not everybody. This probably doesn’t interest most people. Most people don’t care about their standards of excellence. I thisepnk right there I just [SNIP SNIP] I just separated off about 50% of the planet. 50% of the planet does not operate on standards of excellence. It’s just meeting your standards enough to get paid and that’s it.

They don’t operate under any particular standards other than whatever it takes to get paid. Okay? So that’s half the population. So that’s why this book probably only has a limited audience. Okay.

How do your work standards–

WELL ACTUALLY I WANT EVERYBODY TO READ IT THOUGH. Remember, if I’m gonna stop wars–I’ll make some other books that are easier. I have hope for them. You tell me hard this book is.

How do your work stands relate to your goals?

So in other words, you’ve got these standards of excellence and how does that relate to any of your other goals?

Obviously, they should all tie together. That’s what we’re working to: is to tie all this together. But sometimes we’re fractionalized. Sometimes you just know how to be a good student and you don’t know how to be a good worker–that doesn’t make sense. They’re both the same. So we’ve got to make everything fit together–and then you’re in harmony and then you can be as successful as you can be.

How do you determine the quality of your work? In other words, usually your parents–or your father determines your standards of quality. In the Confucian family the Father tells the Mother that these are his rules. And then the Mother exacts those rules and plays the rule. So the Mother is the enforcer and the Dad is the legislator. He’s like the Senator: he makes the rules. And then Mom, she is the school teacher who teaches the kids and like I said… it’s that triumvirate, that pyramid.

Let’s see. How reluctant are you to repeat a job if it’s okay–not great.

Boy, that’s one I bump into every day. So many times. So many times I hit that… and sometimes I just have to say: And there’s a slogan I use. And I still use it. Still echoes in my head. Maybe it will help you. “A JOB WORTH DOING ONCE IS WORTH DOING TWICE.” That echoes in my head… so many times. I’ll look at it and go, “Oh…. If it’s worth doing once–I’ll do it twice.” In fact that happened with my bed. When I got it out and I was trying to find a leak. My airbed. And I couldn’t. And I put it in there and it still leaked… And it’s like, “AHHHHHH.” I wanted to pretend it’s okay, but it wasn’t. There was still a leak. So I thought, “It’s worth doing twice.”

So I took all the covers off, took out here in the living room. Soaked it down where I had more room to work around it. Found two more holes. [LAUGHS] But there’s still another hole. I’ve gotta do it again.

Alright. Here we go.

Does it seem that life repeats its hardships?

Is that a perspective? I’ll have to evaluate the question more.

Does life seem to repeat its hardships

Does it seem impossible to get ahead?

Whew! Living on the street for six years… it almost seemed impossible… but look. I’m here. But I had to develop an alternate strategy. Couldn’t figure out how to make money. Couldn’t do it through fundraisers. And I couldn’t do it through family. I couldn’t do it through friends. I couldn’t do it through selling books. I couldn’t do it through selling Kung Fu classes. I couldn’t do it through selling music. I couldn’t do it through performing. I couldn’t–I mean I tried everything I could to make some money but I couldn’t do it.

And so finally I had to play the system. I had to play the long game and I had to get Section 8. And I was hospitalized. And I did that. I was in Martin Luther King for six months. And then I was in a homeless shelter for a year. Man, I had to play a long game to end up in this situation where I’m settled. This is not the way I wanted to do it though. I tried to just make money. My thing. But I had to form an alternate strategy and play the system.

Where were we?

What slows down the progress of your dreams?

Not having family support. No money. If I had money I might–I’d-I’d… SHEESH! [LAUGHS] I’m like thirty years behind in all my projects. Because I don’t have enough money to finish them and do everything I want with the projects I started thirty years ago. I’d just reach a dead-end because I couldn’t put any money into them.

But yeah. So money is my big impediment. I don’t have family. Family won’t give me money. No friends. No sales. No fans. No customers. [SIGH] That’s why I say. I don’t know if I want to come back to this world for another life. This is just too frustrating. It’s just not really– I could’ve accomplished so much more.

I’m actually– Should I tell you? Ah, Ill tell you. What the heck. I’ve actually–the Vedic Scriptures— I kind of got goose bumps the other day when I realized I’d already figured out the answer to my problems. In the Vedic Scriptures they talk about different Heavens. Different afterlifes. Different worlds your soul can live on. And I think that’s what it is–I just got on the wrong planet. I’m on the cow planet. And I’ve really got to find an art planet. Find a place where there’s creative thinkers, and artistic thinkers, and scientists. And that’s the planet I need to be on.. This is a terrible planet to be on if you’re an artist. Absolutely the worst planet to be on. Your own family! I’m disowned and disinherited by my own mother because I’m an artist. So you don’t want to be on this planet. Earth is a horrible planet to be on.

So if I am gonna have another life–and I don’t want to just give up–Maybe I should just be a ghost forever. Maybe that’d be more fun. If I am gonna be alive again it’s gonna have to be on another planet. Because this planet sucks! It really sucks.

Okay. Where are we? And that’s fine. You know. All the cows are as happy as they can be. [LAUGHS] And I’m not trying to say, “Ah you cows! It’s your fault!” No. It’s my fault. I came here and decided to live with a bunch of cows. That was MY mistake.

Okay. But I’m learning. I’m getting smarter. I’m getting smarter see? I’m getting my new strategy. My next strategy is: get a better planet to live on.

Do you really seek advice, or prefer to do it yourself?

I’M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ADVICE! Like Oscar. He couldn’t even give me good advice. But I was still asking questions. We would argue. But even when he was giving me bad advice– I could at least–like–argue with him. It was good–that way I was kinda still figure out what the advice was. Poor Oscar. He tried so hard to help me. But he couldn’t. He was–just not equipped. [LAUGHS] He didn’t have what he needed to help me. And I think that broke his heart when he realized that.

He was always my friend to the end though. Yeah, I’ve gotta give him that. He was my friend.

How do you enjoy helping other people do better?

Hey, my picture froze [camera image freezes].

Alright. It looks like we’re jammed up. Ooop my picture froze. I’m gonna have to quit. Maybe I ran out of memory.

Do you enjoy reading autobiographies of successful persons and do you enjoy reading ‘how-to’ books?

The counter’s rolling. I’m gonna quit here. And this was #27 of the TAO OF TAOISM, which says,

The proper performance of any task
is obvious by the lack of need to repeat the task.

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Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

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