YouTube Video TRANSCIPT: Daily Taoist 63 Tao #35 Take 2
Alright. I’m starting it over again because we took five minutes to wipe my cat’s butt. Yeah. But it was in that last video. We had a poo-poo break. And I raised kids. I wiped their butts for years every day all day long I was the only one wiping their butt for years. So butt wiping is very normal to me. In fact it’s one of those things you take seriously. It’s your job so you’ve really got to make sure you do it good and diaper rash is a nightmare. And she — my daughter had diaper rash two or three times. I’m not sure. Only a couple times. But we dealt with it. It was a nuisance. You’ve got to really work to prevent it. Once you get it — it’s horrible. So I just always worked hard to make sure she never got diaper rash. It means cleaning the diapers real real frequently.
Here we go.
Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang, former Mr. Mom. Reading from the DAO TE CHING. My version of it called the TAO OF TAOISM. I converted it and then I made all these questions and answers so you take the Lao Tzu thing and then you kind of figure out how to implement it. Because what good is wisdom unless you implement it. It’s not even wisdom. It’s just knowledge, or information. So the only time it becomes wisdom is when you use it.
Here we go. #35. The last one we’re gonna do here.
A person who is aware of ultimate realities attracts the confidence of others through security, contentment, and self-satisfaction.
And that’s where I fall short. Remember? That ultimate reality that I was telling you Mitch McConnell’s hijacked our– Yeah. The ultimate reality. When I had the ultimate– I didn’t have– I never ever had the ultimate reality. Even when I was the Mr. Mom, the mother was still paying some of the bills. She worked for Xerox. So even though she wasn’t with us, or staying with us, she would still pay the bills. The rent and give us grocery money. So I was still not the ultimate reality. I did not control the money. Because she controlled the money she thought she got last say and had more power over me than I had over her. And because that was her life– If it was the other way around. I’m sure she wouldn’t believe that. If I had the money, she wouldn’t have acquiesced to me having the control. But anyway. That’s the way she saw it. So that’s the way we worked with it. So I never had ultimate reality. This is the first time I’ve had my ultimate reality since I met her in 1989.
So since 1989, and it’s 2020. YIKES! I gave up my ultimate reality for thirty years. So I could kind of control my ultimate reality being homeless but that was a heck of a way to start having an ultimate reality. “Okay. We’re going to start your life from here. You get a car. And a cat. And that’s it. [laughs] That’s a bad start for an ultimate reality.
An ultimate reality like Mitch McConnell controls the Senate. He’s a millionaire. Or billionaire. And he’s got all these billionaires connected that he tells everybody, “Okay. I want you meet with him.” “And you’re gonna do this deal.” But he sets all the other Senators up with deals. So that they’re all doing illegal things. Every single one of those Republican Senators has taken lobby money from people they should’ve never taken it from and Mitch McConnell makes sure that they’re all in that web drinking that poison money. So that’s all they do is suck off that poison money and then they all have to play the same game. You know, they’re all in the same game getting that poison money. And they love it because there’s lots of it.
So anyway. But that’s the problem I guess. That’s why I can’t answer this question the way I did because I’ve never been able to provide that ultimate reality. To provide the ultimate reality you have to have enough money that people want to hang around you. You know, like somebody like Elon Musk. So what if he’s really smart? But he’s got a lot of money. So that’s why people like him. If he was just smart–nobody’d give a damn. [laughs] But if you’re smart and you’ve got money a lot of people care. In fact people don’t even care that he’s smart. In fact, people make fun of that or something. People don’t even appreciate it and respect it because they don’t know what being smart is. So, so most people think that, “Oh. It’s like having a third leg. Oh, you’ve got a third leg. Okay. Great.” You know so, “Glad I don’t have a third leg.” They don’t even–so they see it as a disadvantage.
Okay. Anyway… So I’ve never had the ultimate reality. That’s, that’s why I couldn’t answer this question. I was having trouble with these answers. So anyway. Now I’ve got the ultimate reality. But my ultimate reality is that I’m totally broke so nobody’s gonna come running to me… Watch what happens when I get a bunch of money. This is gonna be interesting. See, if my ultimate reality finally changes after thirty years of poverty: only because i have a whole bunch of money. That’s gonna be an interesting thing to see.
So. What about me gives people confidence in me? I mean my Kung Fu and my ability–my being smart and nice, happy. Those things have given people confidence in me. You know, so… A lot of my good qualities, my virtues: give people confidence in me. But not my finances, or my material life doesn’t interest most people. People are into bling. I got no bling.
What about you lessens people’s confidence in you?
Well, being homeless. Or poverty. That seems to shake everybody’s confidence right off the bat. [laughs] But YOU. I’m answering these questions too quickly. What about you lessens people’s confidence in you?
How could you gain more confidence from other people?
Alright?
When– How could I gain it? Here’s the irony for me. It’s like we were saying earlier. Is that I’ll gain– When other people like me. Then other people will like me. It’s like that decoy duck thing. Right now nobody likes me. So nobody likes me. But the moment a whole bunch of people like me–then a whole bunch more…It’s gotta be that like snowball thing. Hopefully. And uh- but yeah. I don’t have that snowball thing going yet.
Can you help me? If you get the snowball thing going. on these videos, The Daily Taoist. I’ll continue doing this. This’ll be fun.
But… When someone threatens you–what is your confidence?
Oooh. You answer that first.
If someone threatens you, what is your confidence?
I have two things. Number one, I talk my way out of most things. Okay. The second thing is I know that if I’m threatened… or if threatened: I’m not going to react. But the moment I think I might get killed: then I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff I could do and I hope I don’t do it. I just know that there’s something in there. It’s like having a knife in your pocket but you don’t want to use it. Because you don’t know where you’re gonna stab the person, but if you had to, you’re gonna pull it out. So I don’t want to ever use my self-defense. I don’t really think that way. I’ve always got other things. Talking and stuff. It’s never my first priority.
Where are we? So anyway. It gives me a little confidence. Knowing that knife is in my pocket makes me negotiate more because i don’t want to have to use my knife. So that makes me work harder to NOT get to my self-defense. Which is the opposite of the Karate people. Karate people go to class every time to beat people up and get beat up. So their first line of defense is to threaten and intimidate. So they don’t have the buffer zones that I do. For mree the fighting is way, way, way back there. For them it’s the first line of defense. They threaten. And intimidation. So I don’t agree with that.
Describe your fears of being mugged, robbed or molested.
Hey. I was just homeless for seven years. I was around all the muggers and molesters and robbers. [laughs] I was living with them. Living with them literally. I mean, in my room i had a guy who was in prison for murder mansalughter. A junkie over here. This guy, he was a drunk. But well he was a thief. He was definitely a thief. Anyway. So was that guy. This guy was a tweaker. The junkie was also a tweeker. And he was a dealer. That’s how he finally got kicked out of the place. He got caught dealing.
Anyway, um, So describe my fears. Not much. So like, they were my neighbors. It was… [laughs] I should have more fear.
What is your self-defense?
What’s YOUR self-defense. Everybody should have something. And don’t say, “That shotgun back in my closet.” [LAUGHS] Like I told you, mine’s talking. My being able to talk. And then there’s a few little tricks and things I know before I’d ever have to get to fighting I could do. In fact, even if I did get in a fight, a couple times I’ve disguised it. It wasn’t even a fight. Just a move here and there. Well, I’m not gonna get into that.
Where were we? Because we’re not half way through.
What in your home gives you security?
What in YOUR home gives YOU security?
Answer that in your own way.
What in your home gives you contentment?
So something in your home. What about the home? Gives you contentment? Your garage. I don’t know.
What gives you contentment?
What at out your represents your self-satisfaction?
I can finally make an answer: ME. Everything that I am and have is in this home. So this home is me. So this home is a place I can be me with me. And do things that are important to me.
Do you keep weapons readily positioned at home, and why?
Oh that’s a good question. And I was just asking myself this yesterday. I saw this video of people lining up at the gun store. Buying ammo and everything. I thought, “Wow.” If this does turn into an end of the world situation–youknow, and people are breaking into each others’ houses…for food and supplies and money and stuff… how do I defend my home? What’s my line of defense here. And so I started thinking. Do I put weapons around the place? Or whatever. And I was thinking last night if I was right here and somebody blew a hole in the door and came in… What would I do? The first thing. So I started playing out a few scenarios in my mind of what I would just take off the walls… and in that particular case I was standing over there and I picked up my monk spade and I said I’m just throwing it right through that opening… [BZ gets emotional] Dont’ wanna get into it. Yeah. Don’t attack me. Okay? I don’t want to hurt anybody. I really don’t. [pufffffff] Okay.
Um. Where were we?
What gives you contentment?
What satisfies your conscious self away from home?
What do you like when you’re away from home?
What satisfies you?
And what satisfies your subconscious when you’re away from home?
So when you’re away from home. That child in you misses your home. And the adult in you misses the home in two different ways.
You have two different relationships. I’m just trying to get you to identify with your home in a different way. You probably have whole different answers than me. Like I said. This is my whole little library. I live in my — in my stuff. you have your own perspective.
Okay. What about your home… Let’s see. Where were we? Ah. I’m just gonna read it because it’s here.
What backup weapon do you keep in your car? And why?
And I don’t encourage this. I don’t encourage this.
In fact, I’ve always had weapons in my car for practicing. But I never practiced much. I had a couple swords. But they’re not for self defense even. That’s just because I have to have a place to put them. And whenever I do somebody with a baseball bat in their car, or something like that: I think that person might be evil. So it actually makes me distrust people when I see a weapon in their car. So you should not have a weapon in your car. [swords have been removed from car] You shouldn’t have to think that way. And if you did have to have something in your car that you could do–in the front seat. I’d, to be honest with you, I’ve got a couple drum sticks. And threatening someone with a drumstick might almost seem funny. But If I hit you hard with the stick on your hands or knuckles or your head–poke your eye out… Definitely think that guy’s formidable. So maybe that’s it. You should just carry a pair of drumsticks. That’s what I’ve got in my front seat.
Okay. But they’re not there for weapons. What I’ve beat on… You can see all the worn-out cracks and everything on my dashboard where I beat on it.
How else have you planned for disaster, danger or self-defense?
Hey. We’re in a lockdown. We’re in a disaster situation. Like a war scenario. We’re all locked in our houses with whatever we’ve got. So the fact that i was slightly prepared and had canned food and dozen rolls of toilet paper was fortuitous. And normally, in a normal lifestyle. I’d normally have all kinds of stuff, a can of gasoline and life supplies. And we got into that in Utah. The Mormons want to be like the cockroaches and outlive everybody else. So they’re actually looking forward to the end of the world so the can emerge from their foxholes and bombshelters and take over the Earth. That’s one of their prophesies. So when I was there in Utah I learned all about how to– I really did. They taught me really well about how to provide for yourself. I feel like I saw videos. Yeah I did. I probably saw it on some television shows. Proably saw some television shows that– I’m remembering videos of it. Yeah, I’m very well educatied on how to have supplies for the Armegeddon.
They say keep three to six months which I don’t. I could last a month maybe. Maybe. I’m low on water. Water supply is something I didn’t plan for.
What gives you contentment as well as those around you?
Describe your self-contentment.
Without any weapons, what would be your first weapon?
With or without weapons, how do you negotiate out of a violent confrontation?
What do you say to someone who is threatening you?
What are intimidation or negotiation powers?
What are your other stragegies of non-violence?
How do you protect others?
Who do you protect?
What are your limits in protecting others?
That’s important. Even as a Freemason we’d have to say you’d only risk your life for another mason to a certain point. We’d actually draw the line even there.
What are your limits in protecting others?
How readily would you jump into a fight to protect a friend?
I’m a little too readily on that. I’m definitely the warrior. Done it many times. I’ve actually saved a few kids.
Here we go: How much abuse will you withstand or ignore before retaliating?
In other words, how much does someone have to rile you up enough to get a punch? What do they have to say? Is there some limit? If there is– you need to know what it is.
How can you avoid being threatened?
And I’ve almost made it here. Last one.
Explain our Shaolin Chi Mantis slogan: This is my school slogan. Invented back in 1992.
THE ULTIMATE SELF-DEFENSE is SELF-AWARENESS.
And I’m gonna leave you with that. That’s the end of the book.
The Ultimate self-defense is self-awareness.
And that’s what I teach. I’m Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang.
YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 62 — Tao #35
Alright. We’re getting closer to the end of the book. Remember, if this works– Remember? I had to angle down for my kitty cat being here. Reposition this any better?
You need to SHARE this and make this some sort of success for me. Otherwise, why would I continue it? But I’ve got a whole bunch of them here. I was thinking about it when I was just in the restroom thinking, “What happens if I pass away and I don’t post for a couple years? Is Instagram gonna [SNIP] my account? And all this stuff that I’m hoping to enlighten the future and the world with–is it going to just evaporate and disappear?” POP. One day it’s here and the next day it’s gone? I don’t know. I’m a strategist but I don’t know the answer to that strategy. I’d like to think part of my strategy was to put it here and then hopefully it would enlighten some people but I’m actually hoping that maybe it might garner some sort of an interest and a following. So I’m fishing. I’m fishing to see if this gonna– this thing’s gonna promote my future. Or is it just a distraction?
But it’s a great distraction. I’ve learned a lot from just helping you and hopefully by being here it’ll help you. And if they’ll leave it here after I die. You know. If they’ll actually let this be here. In a hundred years somebody’ll stumble on this go, “Wow! There’s some good information in here. I feel a lot better and I can fix a few problems.” You know, that’d be beneficial. But i don’t know. I don’t know if Instagram’s gonna leave this here.
Let’s…help me anyway… figure out the future of this. What’s going on with the Daily Taoist? I’m the Daily Taoist. And my cat seems to be wanting to go up there onto the counter for some reason. I don’t usually let him up on the sink. And he shouldn’t be allowed on the sink. But the fact he wants to go up there’s got my interest.
[to cat] “Why do you want to get up there little buddy?” I’m trying to understand his Tao. His Nature. “What is it you want? What time is it?” Maybe he wants something to eat. Let me finish. I’m gonna take a break when I’m done.” I think I’m. How many more do I have to do? I’m on #35. WHAT?! This can’t be the last one! I’ve been blasting. I didn’t realize it. Two pages long and then I could show you the BIBLIOGRAPHY if I have time. Whole bunch of ads. Sheesh. It’s insulting how many ads. I mean it’s kind of gross how many ads i put in here. I think. I think. But I was working– I was fishing hard. I was trying hard. I was reaching our for some sort of sales. In fact, one of my items, my– all my CafePress has been stolen. I tried. I went online. I saw one of my shirts. And I clicked on it. Somebody else is selling my shirt. I’ve been ripped off. My artwork’s been stolen. People are printing shirts with my praying mantis on it. So anyway. I’m getting ripped off.
These are things I need to take under control. And control would give me some–
Anyway. Here we go.
#35. Let’s wrap this up. This is our– maybe our last one if I can do one and a half pages. And in less than fifteen minutes.
Richard Del Connor. Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang. Author of the TAO OF TAOISM – USING THE DAO TE CHING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. The original book is called the BOOK OF CHANGES or DAO TE CHING written by Lao Tzu 2,500 years ago. At least 2,200 years ago.
Here we go. #35. And there’s 80 of them, but this is the last one in this book.
A person who is aware of ultimate realities attracts the confidence of others through security, contentment, and self-satisfaction.
I’m going to read that again and this is a quandary of mine. This qauestion here is the one I’ve been asking myself over and over again the last few months I’ve been living here.
Hey. My cat’s gonna do something. I may have to take a break here.
[to cat] Is this a wee-wee or a poo-poo buddhy? .
I think I’m gonna take a break. He is– When he has a poo-poo now. I wipe his butt every time. So… um…
[to cat] “Hello there little buddy. Is this a poo-poo? Let me get a tissue here. Hi buds.” I thought of this earlier. Never seen it probably on film before. A guy wiping a cat’s butt? If I can get it on camera here. “You get it buddy? Alright buddy. Come here. I’ll get it. Okay. Come here. Come here Bud. Alright.”
He’s burrying it. Now he’s calling me. That’s how he calls me. “Okay. I’ll come clean it up. Alright. I got it.” He’s scratching the outside. “Yes. Yes.” He’s scratching the outside rim. “Come here Buddy. Come here Buddy. I’ll wipe you now. Here’s a tissue. Good boy. Yes you are. Good boy. Come here. A little more. Thank you. Alright? I didn’t really need to clean your butt in the camera… But… Here we go.”
Alright? So there you go. That’s it. [LAUGHS] [HAND WASHING] They say you’re supposed to wash your hands long enough for a song. Don’t know if I’ll do that. In a situation like this I use soap and water. And do a good job. The other day i went to wipe his butt and I didn’t end up wiping it. And I washed up real quick, and I thought to myself, “Oh! I’ll bet if somebody saw that video they’ll think I didn’t wash my hands good. [LAUGHS]
Alright. We’re at five minutes and we haven’t even started? And we had to do a page and a half–Maybe we should just start this one over. “Bear. Were you a total distraction for this? I think you just knocked out most of my time here.”
Alright. We’ll make that the BEAR BUTT BREAK I guess. And we’ll start that one over again.
I’m really determined. I want to get these done tonight. I’ve got about five more or so. I don’t know that I should ask Bear’s permisssion. But he’s repositioning. I was on this page. I guess he knows I’m going to work over here so he’s kind of moving over here. [LAUGHS]
This is #34a I’m Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang. Zhen Shen-Lang by the way translates as Spirit Wolf of Truth. Truth being my last name. So yeah. I’m kind of obliged to give you the truth. It’s my name.
Okay. So this is #34a of the TAO OF TAOISM based on the BOOK OF CHANGES by Lao Tzu.
And so #34a says:
Ultimate reality–
(I’ve got hairs all of the place. In your own ears.)
Ultimate reality does not compete for recognition. Though other realitites may shout their identities, eventually all perspectives will merge into the ultimate reality.
Okay. I don’t think i want to get too carried away with the spiritual implications here. But let’s stick with the material world. The real world. Ultimate reality does not compete for recognition. Ultimate reality does not compete for recognition.
In other words… Okay. So let say– So let’s take the Congress [Senate] Okay. The Congress of the United States. What do we got? Like a hundred guys there? Well 105 or 110.Any way I’ve got a hundred. So those guys. Okay? So their ultimate reality is they’re not there to compete for recognition. That’s not the job that they’re in. Their ultimate reality is to work as a team to get something done. Now unfortunately, obviously when things go wrong, we’ll notice that people are competing for recognition, and doing things– So they’re jamming up the ultimate reality. They’re ruining, they are destroying The Tao. They’re going against Nature.
Though other realities may shout their identities–
You know, like Cruz, and some of these guys. Gosh, they’re amazing! Amazing!
Eventually, all perpectives will merge into the ultimate reality.
So a lot of these guys– Well actually, this… has several things to say. This is actually not all good. This is not all good. This is actually saying– Because the ultimate reality of The Senate is that Mitch McConnell is the ultimate reality. He has decided this is the ultimate reality: “We’re not gonna let the President appoint any Justices or Supreme Court things… We’re gonna jam up the government. So HE decided what the ultimate reality was going to be for The Senate. Not the Constitution. Not the people of this country. Not just the general whatever it is of our government that’s supposed to always just outlive us. No. He decided. He decided I don’t care what the people want. I don’t care what the President wants. I don’t care what the government wants. THIS is the ultimate reality of The Senate. And… Mitch McConnell has hijacked our country for thirty years or something. I’m not an expert. I haven’t been paying attention to politics. But now that I am I’m amazed at how much YOU GUYS– “You Guys.” Anybody. Any of you who’ve paid attention to politics– How much you’ve really screwed up this country. This country is like totally screwed up by you. You guys. I’d…well, I’ll take responsibility for being ignorant and not being a part of it and even voting for Reagan once. So, I mean… I’m an idiot. But I’m getting smarter. I’m actually much, much smarter now. I would not make so many mistakes. Now that I know what’s going on better. I could be a much better voter now.
So let’s read this again.
Ultimate reality does not compete for recognition.
See. And he’s not actually competing for recognition either. See, that actually supports this concept. He [Mitch McConnell] is the ultimate reality. But he’s not even competing. There’s no competition. He’s just there. That makes him the ultimate reality. Wow! I’ve just learned something. So the ultimate reality: you can find because they’re no longer competing. See? He’s not competing. He’s totally in control. So he’s the ultimate reality. Kind of like Trump. There’s nobody competing against Trump. He’s totally in control. He is the ultimate reality. Okay? And he’s trying to get recognition. So he’s totally like the opposite. Mitch McConnell is like the QUIET EVIL. And this guy’s the LOUD EVIL. These guys are the Yin and Yang of evil. The QUIET EVIL that’s been working behind the scenes and causing all these problems. But you don’t know it. Can’t see him. And then Trump who’s out here doing all this evil RIGHT IN YOUR FACE. But this guy down here’s supporting him. See? This guy can’t get away with it without this guy. If this guy [McConnell] was right here saying, “No you can’t do that.” You know. It wouldn’t work. But no this guy’s back here saying, “You can do it.” [McConnell] “Go ahead. Go ahead and do it. I’ve got all these guys lined up. We’re gonna profit from this stupid stuff you’re doing.”
Okay. Here we go. #34a
Are you shy or bold and why?
Shy or bold. Okay? One or the other. You’re either shy or bold. Do you go introduce yourself? Or do you wait for other people to introduce themselves? Those are the two people– You have to choose from one of those two.
Are you reserved or outspoken? And why?
The ‘WHY’s’ important. I don’t have time for it because I can’t hear it. Okay, but get this book and write your ‘WHY.’ That’s very important.
Are you reserved or outspoken?
In other words, “It’s none of my business.” You hold your thing.
Or are you outspoken: “I think people should know about that!” Are you the person who lets people know what your think they should know?
Or do you hold it back? “It’s none of my business.”
If you ever say, “It’s none of my business,” then you know which one you are.
Okay.
Is your appearance subtle or bold? And why?
See, mine’s changed. I told you: I used to be a hippie. And I was doing it to make a statement. I don’t belong to this… I belong to the counterculture. I’m not part of this culture and I’m against these values. And I’m making a statement. I’m not making that statement anymore.
Um… Do you ever argue? And why?
Arguing. Yeah–that’s a good question. We’ll get into that another time. But are you versus discussion, versus debating. But arguing is where you’re basically where you’re just–there’s never a solution. And arguing never wins. If you do win it’s because the other person gave up. Or you forced them to shut up. Or you said– anyway– Arguing always ends up in a false ending.
How do you know when to stop arguing?
There you go. See? It’s never gonna end. You can argue forever. And you can stop anytime. Same place.
But anyway. How do you know when to stop arguing?
Are you competitive or passive?
What about Bear? He’s not competitive. He’s actually passive. Now if I had another pet he’d have to be competitive. And that would throw out our harmony entirely. That’s why you should never have more than one pet. You should only have one pet. That way he’s part of the family. If he’s not–he’s just another rodent that you’re feeding. He’s a lower animal. And they’ll know that because they have to deal with each other. Dealing with your as totally separate reality. But if you take the other animals out of the picture and they only relate to you– You elevate their consciousness. So that’s why this guy’s consciousness is elevated. He knows he’s a cat. There’s no question about that. And he knows the other cats. But his relationship with me is something he can’t have with anybody else. He crawls and gets in my underarm. And talks to me and stuff. We have a special relationship, and it’s a– Anyway.
Seriously. I honestly believe — in fact I’ve heard that from people too, who get two cats. “The cats just play with each other. They won’t do this… and they won’t give me any attention.” Yes. Of course. They’re going to play with each other first. You know… So– Anyway. Learn from other people’s mistakes.
Here we go. Next one.
Are you competitive or passive?
Why is winning important to you?
Everybody should want to win. But why is it important TO YOU? What does winning mean? Define it. That’s very important.
Uh… Do you prefer to talk or listen? And why?
Talk, or listen, and why? You’ve got to do all three. You’ve got to prefer one or the other. You either talk more or listen more. Okay? Some people don’t do either. They don’t talk. They don’t listen. They’re really a mushroom.
Okay. Here we go.
Do you usually try to win or compromise?
Ah… Get your own answer.
But my answer is unfortunately compromising. Now I actually– Well, that’s not entirely true. You see I actually– Bear — I can actually, because I’m a strategist, I kind of like intermix them. I’ve learned how to compromise now to win later. You know… And I don’t know about win now to compromise later. That doesn’t seem likey a— a useful thing. [laughs] But it could be. I can actually see how that could possibly be. But no. I’ve mostly been compromising as part of my winning strategy. And that’s not good. I should’ve been– even as a — even in my failed marriage I should’ve pushed harder to be me instead of compromising as much as I did. But I did. I compromised. I went for the easy soft road. I could’ve divorced. Run off with the kid. So there’s lots of things I could’ve done. And maybe should’ve done. You know, to be more successful. Maybe, the kids would be more happy. And the exwife might be more happy. So i’m not even saying I made the right choice. But the choice I did make was to play the long game. Compromise. Be in there as long as I could. I never paid child support. And I was there with my son, helping him graduate high school when he turned eighteen. He would not have graduated high school without my help. So I was right there. Right to the very end. And then they’re gone.
I played the long game. My goal was to raise my kids. So even when it totally turned bad… I spent the last five years really being unappreciated and insulted. And cussed at by my own kids. But I hung in there just because that was the plan i made and I stuck it out. So arguably it wasn’t necessarily the right way to do it but it is the way I did do it. I’m here– So there we are. I made my choices and now I’m going to live by them.
So… And I’m happy. Like i said, I’m very, very happy. So everything’s gonna work out fine.
Where are we? And I’m hoping my kids will get whatever they want in life. Because it’s obviously not what I’m offereing. So whatever they need, they need to find somewhere else. Because they know what I’ve got and they don’t want to come back for any of what I’ve got. So appreciate that. Although it’s alway gonna hurt my feelings because I always wanted them to be with me.
Where are we?
Um….oh… Are you jealous?
That’s a very important question. Everybody could say we have felt jealousy. But are you a jealous person? And we can probably define that somehow. I didn’t think this through ahead of time. But I could think of ways in girls I used to find that–And I used to realize that any girl who’s jealous–you can’t trust. And I would… the more a girl is jealous–the more there’s something you can’t trust. That’s a real imbalance. But I shouldn’t have given you any clues.
Explain your possessiveness of loved ones.
Possessiveness of loved ones. You’ve gotta explain it. In other words, if you love someone… We all have certain possessions or restrictions. Or we think we are behooven to each other. So explain your concepts. Because if you’re gonna have a mate you might want to make sure she has the same concepts. Because you might find you have two different concepts of what marriage and the vows mean.
How much freedom to do you allow your mates? And why?
So are they allowed to have sex with other people? If they did, would you forgive them? Is it okay? Do you breakup? Or get back together? Tell me what’s in your wallet?
How quickly can you understand the perspectives of others?
You make think you do. But think about it. Ask other people if they think you “GET” what they’re saying?
How does this influence your motives or goals?
In other words, if you do understand their perspectives, does that change yours at all?
How much do you enjoy compromising?
Remember that? Once you know what they want– You can’t compromise until you know what somebody else wants. So, most people might think they compromise. But maybe you don’t. You’re just giving in to something to make it easier. You’re not really compromising. How do you know that? Answer the questions here.
How do you feel about accepting the blame for other people’s mistakes?
I have a certain pride in that actually. It’s kind of a shame. I don’t shame anybody. I don’t like to use that word, “shame.” But yeah, I… In my life I have a kind of honor code, street code. Or the police think certain things– Well, I wouldn’t turn people in. Or I took responsibility. Or if I had something, and it was somebody else’s… it doesn’t matter. I didn’t– I never ever turned anybody else in. So anyway, that means something to me. That’s my “street cred”– My “Street Cred” as I think they call it. My street credibility. I’ve never narced on anybody.They use to call people, “a narc” because of “Narcotics Officer.”
Okay. Are you a good negotiator in tough arguments?
Maybe. Maybe. I look for different answers. I get people to pursue different paths of inquiry. So maybe that helps come to a better answer or just an answer they would have never come to on their own… arguing. So I have some ability. As a mediator and a negotiator.
And are you capable of being unemotional? Ant any time? No matter what?
Yeah. But it does seem practical. You’ve got to learn how to shut it off. We all have emotions. So I get emotional. But I can shut them off. I’m real good at it now.
But some people can’t. People literally can’t. Some people say, “I’ve gotta take a break.” “I’ve gotta do something because I’m having an emotional…” “I can’t control my emotions!” It’s pretty pathetic but people believe that’s acceptible. And like I said, if you’re in that lower part of the herd you know… emotions become logic. Then people start saying they think with their gut. I mean they just start saying things that are totally illogical or stupid. And they’re using them as their reasoning.
So… when you start mixing down there at the bottom… it gets pretty muddy.
Okay. So, what upsets you most?
Think about that for a minute before i say what I say.
What upsets YOU most?
Okay. Hopefully you got your answer out there. Because what upsets you most is often what upsets you most that you do yourself. In other words something that would bother you the most if you did it. Like for me: lieing. It would bother me so much if I lied. I’ve told a couple lies and they haunt me forever. So when other people lie it really really bothers me. But I’m very gullible because I never lie. So I always want to think everybody’s telling the truth. But lies get in. But I don’t like them. So when they lie– “POOF” The person’s out. [laughs] I’m very very much into the truth. If you lie to me– If you don’t want to be my friend just tell me a– Don’t tell me lie. Just don’t talk to me. People don’t want to be my friend? But an’t be my friend if they lie.
Gotta get out of here before that fifteen minutes.
Alright. Back again. Daily Taoist here, Buddha Zhen. Reading from the TAO OF TAOISM written by me. Based on the DAO of Dao Te Ching or BOOK OF CHANGES by Lao Tzu, 2,200 years ago. I’m on page–well, not page but #33— actually “d” wasn’t it? This #33 has four parts to it. I broke it into four parts because it just had so much…
#33. We went from #33a and answered these questions. We went to #33b and asked these. “c” we just finished. [No. skipped accidentally] Now we’re on #33d. Let’s see what happens over here.
To create one’s own path in life is an external achievement beyond walking a path designed by other persons.
Period.
Read it again. And then you can say, “Hey! You’re the poster child for that one.”
To create one’s own path in life is an external achievement beyond walking a path designed by other persons.
As I’ve said in all these many stories: is that my parents have been trying to get me to walk their path. Walk that path. You know… They’ve just been– In fact I got disinherited because I wouldn’t walk their path. They said, “If you’re not going to walk this path then we’re gonna kick you out of the tribe and the herd and everything. You can’t come back.”
When you hear people say things like that, they’re just down there in the low I.Q. range.
Okay. Here we go. Explain how parents, teachers, friends, religion.. influenced your path as a child. Yeah. We all got that. You’ve– We’ve all been influenced in different ways. So you’ve got to get it out. Get it all out there so you can see what you kept and what you didn’t keep. There may be things thatthey said you should go back to. I’m not saying– Put it all out. I gave you two lines. I think you need like ten.
Explain your teenage path influences.
Who influenced you as a teenager?
As a teenager it definitely wasn’t my parents. Not at all. Uh… So… who influenced? Remember, I grew up in the sixties. So when I think of who influenced me, they’d be people like John Lennon, and… Jimi Hendrix, and for writers…interesting, Abbie Hoffman, STEAL THIS BOOK. Ginsberg was the popular poet, but I didn’t really relate to him. So, not everything that was going on at that time harmonized my Tao. There was a lot of creative stuff. That’s the beautiful thing. It was such a huge Renaissance. There were people being creative in ways that I didn’t even appreciate. But they were being creative. They were being artistic. They were being– I don’t want to say abnormal– but “not normal.”
Okay. #33d: Walking your own path. Deciding this unique way you’re going to live your life. Which caused me to get kicked out of my own family. Just because I tried to be an individual.
Explain your teenage path influences.
Well now explain your young adult path influences. So once you turn 20–
See, once I hit 20 I was a recording engineer working in a studio. And so there were certain people who influenced my life. Like that famous drummer, uh Cappice, uh What’s wrong with me? I want to say, Armen Cappice [Carmine Appice] but that’s not it. The drummer from Vanilla Fudge. He started this institute and I enrolled in it. I met him. And then later, one of his prize students [drum student] Richard Augustine, who actually used to go visit and live with him and trained with him. One of his disciples was my drummer on the Temptation record. He does the song, “Carol.” He does “Billy Boy” also on another song on a different album. But anyway, he was an influence. I give him credit for that. Uh…let’s see and I would have to see the… producer of The Beatles. He gets a lot of credit. Because I was trying understand what he did. He inspired me. I mean back: engineering. “What might he do?” I would listen with headphones. “What did he do?”
Okay… Which of these influences are still incorporated in your path? And how?
Well obviously, Martin. He’s still influencing me. And… I’d like to think I made him proud. But he had a lot more resources than I do. But I’ve made good– In fact, people have been impressed with what I’ve done with my resources. So yes.
Which influences should be incorporated more and how?
Well that’s it. I’ve been– I’ve gone through Plato. I spent like four or five years going back to Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. Read Marcus Aurelius maybe twice more. THE MEDITATIONS. Epictitus, I read him a couple of times. I’ve been going through all the philosophers in the last ten years trying to rebuild my life. It’s like gosh, after marriage, “What the heck am I going to do with myself?” This whole thing about being a steer in the herd is absurd for me. I had to reput… like: “BkBkBkBkBkBk” cram a bunch of information into me and see what I ended up.
So now I’m…trying to create the new me and go forward so: You’ll have to see what it is. I’m creating a brand new creature. I am a brand new creature. And I’m synthesizing myself very, very, um… I don’t know about systematically, but effectively and consistently so I’m kind of like cooking myself in my own shell. And I’m emerging right now.
So here we go.
Creating Your Path Requires Excluding People from your Life
Which influences should be excluded now from your path and why?
Like I said, that’s romance and love. Well I’ve got love. I’ve got my kitty. Chewing away. Oh.. but sex. Pursuit of sex and relationships like that. That’s definitely a waste of time for me now.
I’ve got lots of love songs. I’ve got hundreds of love songs so people might never know I don’t have a love life. I could just release one my songs and people’d go, “Man. This guy’s horny!” [LAUGHS] I wrote it 30 years ago.
How and why has your path become radically different from your influences?
Radically different? Well, who are my influences? Well, I look at my musical influences: Hendrix, um… Mick Abrahms, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter. Those were some of my strongest influences as a guitar player.
[to cat] “Oh. Hi there buddy. Come on… Hello you.” He gave me that look.
What was the question. It had something to do with how have I become different from them? Well I decided that I exceeded them. I went, “WOW!” You know, Johnny Winter will always be the master just like my Kung Fu master Kam Yuen or Grandmaster Wong Jack Man. It doesn’t matter whether I ever was to try to think that I could beat them up. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if they’re frail or had broken legs they’re my master and you can’t think things like that. But you can think of you’ve done something– you’ve improved on what they’ve done. And I know that I teach a lot better than any of my masters. Okay? So I’ve improved on them that way.
Now, as far as a guitar player, I found that it interesting. Because Rory Gallagher; I held him in high esteem as a singer-songwriter and a guitar player. And I love him. He was very instrumental– He was a strong influence on me in the beginning. I saw him like 7 times in concerts. I was just like inches away from him. Inches. And I was very inspired by him. And… but to realize that, “Wow,” you know my songwriting just went [truck noise] right past him. His songwriting became very shallow and narrow. And my guitar playing expanded in so many different directions. He is an AMAZING guitar player. He can do like a dozen things amazingly well. And of those I do maybe 8 of them [laughs] really well. But I’ve got another 8 that I do well. So I’ve done– So anyway I’m just impressed that I was able to do what he does. And then do other stuff… And like I said, my songwriting definitely went far beyond him. In fact I felt so bad for him. Because I think he’s so talented. And I look up to him. And I was thinking, “I wish he had my music.” If he would’ve recorded my songs he could’ve maybe been much more successful and had a much bigger audience. So I sometimes regret that I’m not famous because there’s a lot of people who are not taking advantage of what I have that would benefit their life. And make them better. My music… I’ve got great songs no one has ever heard. So people could make a lot of money off them if they had a way to put them in front of people. If they could make a recording of my song in a good way and then release it… People are gonna– I guarantee people are gonna like some of this music. Not because– They don’t even have to know it’s even me. Doesn’t matter who wrote it. There just good songs. But okay.
Uh… So let’s see. Which influences should be taken from my path? Did we get to that one? Um… “You really distracted me.” [to cat] You’re– Okay.
How and why has your path become radically different from your influences?
Well it became radically different because I had more information. People like Rory Gallagher: he got stuck into that routine of just touring every single year for years. And so– And that’s a job. You don’t have a life. You perform and you’re travelling and you don’t have that time to be alone and be in your… thinking zone. He’s travelling a lot. That’s very, very upsetting. People who tour will never talk very highly about touring. You’ll hear people say, “I don’t want to ever tour again.” It’s not the best way to live. A musician’s happier not touring. I have not toured to the point I don’t like touring. That’s because i’ve hardly toured at all.
So it’s kind of a good thing. I’ve never been burned out as an artist which is why I love playing. I’ve never played to the point where I– I’ve never played a song so much that I felt, “I DON’T WANNA PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN.” Except you’ll see one of the songs: It was just so emotional, it was so emotionally involving that I only played it a few times. The “Use Me” song. I actually start crying. If you see that video you might not be able to tell. Look really carefully when I go [cringes face] this is something… that… like… I’m really breaking down. Because this was the first day I was really being homeless and saying goodbye to my kids forever. [somehow I knew] Gone forever. That was the last day I ever– I visited them a few times after that. But that was the end. That was– That song “USE ME” [live video] was recorded on the last day I saw my kids. Anyway.
Sad song. I was like so sad when I wrote that. When I wrote it, but when I was siging it– I was sadder…
Okay. Here we go.
Where were we? Did I make it? Ten minutes.
Most People Should Follow the Path of their Parents/Friends
How and why has your path become similar to your influences?
Well it hasn’t become similar because I added so much spirituality and healthy living. See? All those people drink and they travel. They were doing drugs or drinking. So when they were spinning around in the hamster wheel. I was living my life and growing and explorying and going to UCLA. Being a photographer. Having kids. Developing Kung Fu schools. Going off and having a Hanblecia my Vision Quest on The Rosebud. Becoming a Pipe Carrier. Healing people for a few years. While they were just circling around doing tours and playing the same songs that they’d been playing for ten, twelve years.
Like this group Garbage. Which I really like on the first album. And I saw an interview again. And I was trying to figure them out. Put them in perspective. And their first album, “2.0” I think it was. It’s a great album. It’s a very, very good album. I’ve got it. I’ve got the CD. And it’s a good album but they haven’t been able to duplicate it. And I was trying to figure out why. And even she was saying that, “We’re happy what that album did for us.” And there’s a lot of clues if you can read between the lines and understand what people are saying. But yes, in other words, these are not real MUSICIANS. They were people who were playing music. And they may have been driven and they may have had some artist potential in them, in the lower qualities. Not in the first position though. I don’t know about any of them. Maybe the drummer. The drummer might have the MUSICIAN in the first position. But the other ones, you know I’m not so sure. Because they didn’t grow and expand. And so as a result they couldn’t grow as a group. But they were at that time able to take all their best qualities and everything that they had: mush it together and take all that stuff. That’s why most groups’ first record is the best. Because it’s got so much stuff crammed into it. Even if they’re not really MUSICIANS. It’s all that stuff that they did generate. You know, accidentally. As kind of pretending to be MUSICIANS they still created the stuff. And then when they jammed it together it was awesome. Now that album’s really good.
But where we? So, anyway I felt bad. And then she was talking about not having an ego and stuff like this, and being Scottish, and it’s like– “Awww” You’ve gotta have an ego to be an artist. That’s what an artist is. An artist lives for their ego. But then again you have to remember what the ego is. The ego is the expression of what’s inside of you. What most people think of the ego is a false pride. False pride is false pride. An ego is something different. But we’ll get to that later. But ego is a very good thing. Now what if you have somebody like Trump. He has false pride. He bolsters. He has this big huge ego based on lies, deception, bankruptcy, fraud… So yes, all that pride that he generates–that’s the evil. That ego that he has is evil. So that’s not real ego and its not real pride. It’s all just a bunch of fake news.
Alright. Buddha Zhen here with the real thing. The real news from 2,500 years ago. Bringing to you the freshest old news. Got, 2,500 years old. Gottem, the bones would even be be rotten by now. So anyway, bringing you Lao Tzu’s bones. [laughs]
Alright. So anyway that was kind of wrapping up the 33rd… I’m kind of a little distracted by my little buddy here. [Bear the cat] He’s taking a little bit of my energy and my love away. Sorry. You’re not getting me 100%. “Yes. I love you Bear.” But like I said, I relish my distractions. [talks to cat and laughs]
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?
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.
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 celebrate with liquor? And what else?
Do you take time off after a contest and rest from training?
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
Hello. Your Daily Taoist here. Buddha Zhen. Richard Del Connor.
And I’m reading to you from my book, TAO OF TAOISM – USING THE TAO TE CHING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. Written by Lao Tzu. Now this book is of course written by me. This is my version of it. I’m trying to read one whole paragraph, piece of wisdom by him per class or per session. I’m trying to keep them under six minutes. Now I’m trying to keep them under ten.
So real fast. This is #19a. Page 34.
And it says,
Be yourself naturally. Decide to do what will not require uncomfortable self-discipline.
Now remember, what makes each person uncomfortable is kind of dependent upon your training, your training, who you are, what you are, what you want…
So this thing– you’ve gotta kind of take your time on it.
First one: Be yourself naturally.
Remember, I’ve got that book, ACT ZEN. Act Naturally. Acting Naturally.
Be yourself naturally.
Well the only way you can know you’re doing that is if you know who you are. And know what you’re acting. So there’s a certain amount of information and research that has to happen before you can understand that sentence.
Be yourself naturally. “Okay.” What is it?
So that’s what we’re doing right now. We’re trying to decide what your Natural is. Your Tao.
Okay, now the next one is a huge big thing. Let’s see if I can unpack it with these questions.
Decide to do what will not require uncomfortable self-discipline.
So in other words you want a job that’s not going to require a lot of extra effort… you know, to make yourself feel comfortable to do it. You want something you can do naturally that won’t require a lot of extra effort. Not necessarily less work, but less mental effort to do it. If you don’t want to do it it’s going to get harder and harder to do it over and over again.
Okay, so here we go.
How much extra effort does it require for you to be healthy and organized?
Those are two different questions: healthy and organized. But maybe they’re also kind of the same. And yeah. That’s an interesting concept to realize: the more organized you are–the healthier you could be. Because being healthy is a matter of organizing your intake of food supplies and keeping track of it and keeping it fresh. So if you cannot be organized with your food, you may not be able to be organized with your health.
Okay, so let’s see…
What are your weaknesses that require extra effort?
What are your weaknesses that require extra effort for you to overcome them or get something done. What slows you down?
What promises or responsibilities do you have that require extra effort?
Extra effort–not meaning more work, but motivation for you to do it. Maybe you just don’t want to do it.
Like, I know of this– I won’t say names– okay, so: there’s a man and his sister. And his sister’s kind of supporting her brother. Okay? She’s kind of helping him out. And in her Will, not in her Will, but in her–before she dies she tells both her sons, “Hey. I want you guys to keep helping my brother.” You know. Subsidize him a little bit. In fact she specified how much money to give each month. And then she passed away. The sons inherit all her money… And then there’s two sons. Now one son fulfills the promise. He gives him money. The other son doesn’t.
Okay. So they both have their reasonings and their logic on that.
So what promises or responsibilities do you have that require extra effort?
So for the one who did keep it–was it extra effort? Was he just willing to put in that extra effort because maybe he still didn’t want to really do it.
So anyway. These are things you want to bring up. What is the truth? What is YOUR truth? (Is all we’re really concerned with here.)
How do you waste time?
How do you waste time?
Okay? Don’t react to it. Just answer it.
When playing games, how do you know when to stop?
When playing games– (Well nowadays. I wrote this in the eighties. So this is before video games. And so, when you’re playing games…) –how do you know when to stop?
That’s a great question to ask the millennials. I’d love to hear their answers. I really would.
Well, no I wouldn’t. [laughs] No, I don’t want to hear those answers. In the office, you don’t work…
Here we go: How often do you think you’ve wasted time?
Now that’s the thing see? If you’ve a lifestyle of wasting time–you might not think you’re wasting time. You know, “Oh, I’m gonna be a professional video game tester… That’s why I keep playing games.”
Do you realize how many times I’ve heard that? And not one. Not one of t shose people who ever said that ever even came close to…
We can fool ourselves.
So hopefully, if you’re smart enough to be doing this course–listening to me. Hopefully you’re smart enough to stop fooling yourself if you are accidentally. Never do it on purpose. Fool yourself on purpose. You’re probably not gonna be here…
Here we go: How could you be more efficient?
Okay you: How could you be more efficient in general? How could you be more efficient?
How could you waste less time?
Okay. Everybody’s going to waste time somehow. A little bit. Somewhere. How could you waste less of it? Some other way? Whatever. Put these in your own words.
Sorry. Sometimes I feel like I might be preventing an answer of yours by getting into mine. So I apologize. There was another “sorry.”
How could you get more accomplished?
Get more things accomplished? Done. Achieved.
How could you get more accomplished?
Hey. There you are. At six minutes! This is what I was originally trying to think, what I was trying to go for the TAO OF TAOISM.
So anyway, I told you I was supposed to wrap it up. But we’ve got to go back to the beginning.
Be yourself naturally. Decide to do what will not require uncomfortable self-discipline.
I like that. In other words, choose a job you’re going to want to do.
Decide to do what will not require– So you want to make that decision.
It requires some exploration. You’ll make some mistakes. You might get in one of those jobs that caught you when– you don’t want to do. That’s an important lesson to learn. Because a lot of people spend a lot of years in the same mistake every day.
Alright. Buddha Zhen out here. Your Daily Taoist in seven minutes.
